Ashley and Evan Hunter's IVF Journey

Our love story is unusual. As many of you know, Evan and I met while in treatment for severe depression and OCD. We were at our lowest when incredibly, we found great love. Meeting and marrying Evan have been the best things to ever happen to me. He truly is the man of my dreams!

It has also been a dream of mine, for as long as I can remember, to be a mom. When I was little, I wanted to have ten children! I'm not sure how best to explain it, but it feels like I was made to be a mom. It feels like mothering children is just what I am supposed to be doing with my life. Evan, too, dreams of being a parent!

Evan and I didn't expect to have any problems getting pregnant. There were no signs or symptoms to indicate that we might run into difficulty. However, after testing, it was initially believed that I had endometriosis, with cysts on my right ovary and blocked fallopian tubes. During testing, it was found that I have "low ovarian reserve," which can happen as women age.

I was devastated to hear of these results. How could this be true with NO symptoms? After counseling from our fertility doctor, we decided to proceed with IVF treatment. We planned to do one egg retrieval, after which I needed surgery to remove my left fallopian tube before implanting any embryos.

During surgery, it was found that I do NOT have endometriosis and that my right fallopian tube is open! While this was great news, it means that we don't have an explanation for why we haven't been able to get pregnant. Based on our doctor's recommendations and odds of success, we have decided to continue IVF treatment.

At this point, we have completed two egg retrieval cycles. From these two cycles, we have one embryo that has been cryopreserved (put in the freezer). We plan to take one month off to rest my body, then proceed with another egg retrieval cycle with the hope of creating one or two more healthy embryos.

Infertility treatments, especially IVF, cause immense stress in every aspect of life. Physically, the hormone medications cause side effects and having to receive four shots a day is painful! The frequent testing is invasive and uncomfortable. I have had to change my hours at work to accommodate the monitoring appointments. Relationally, we are not as available to be in touch with family and friends. Of course, our marriage is being put to the test (thankfully, Evan and I are managing to maintain a healthy and loving partnership!) Spiritually, I question God and the direction of our lives. Financially, we are being stretched.

For those who don't know, IVF treatment costs tens of thousands of dollars. Each cycle, my medication alone costs $4000-5000 dollars. It is likely that we will be paying at least $45,000-50,000 for treatment, but it could be more if we require more than three cycles to achieve pregnancy.

While it's difficult to ask for help, we have been encouraged by family and friends to create this fundraiser. We appreciate the support and generosity we have already been shown, and we will look forward to paying you back with sweet baby cuddles! We will keep you posted as we travel on this journey to build our family.