<div>Jenna is 19 years old and being forced to endure something no one her age should endure. Jenna has a condition that will not allow her to conceive a child on her own. She has to have her eggs retrieved and frozen. This is an extremely expensive procedure. One in which insurance will not cover and grants are incredibly hard to find. Jenna’s mom and our family are working hard to raise the money for this procedure. However, they are on a time limit so we need help! Help us change Jenna’s future! This is Jenna and here is her story:

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<div>This is going to be very long! This is a  Jenna story. A must-read! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!

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<div>As most of you know, Jenna has had her fair share of issues over the years. She had closed-heart surgery at six weeks old at UVA. It took a long time for her to gain weight and grow any inches. The doctors at UVA knew something wasn't right and kept her as a patient, where she was seen every so often by many different specialists. One by one, they started releasing her from their care till we were left with just genetics.

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<div>At almost three and a half years old, Jenna was sent to endocrinology. We met with the endocrinologist in December 2009, and he told us what he thought was going on with her. He felt like she either had something called Turner syndrome or that she was growth hormone deficient (GHD). They ran some tests, once the tests were back, the endo doc called and said she needs more testing, but she did not have Turner syndrome. More testing was scheduled, and let me tell you that testing was NOT easy!!! Here is where I will quote the doc because I remember vividly what he told me when he called. "She produced near to nothing of her own growth hormone."

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<div>She received a diagnosis that she was, without a doubt, growth hormone deficient. At three years and nine months old, she was 32 inches tall and only weighed 25 lbs. She was in the same size shoes for over a year. The clothing sizes that she wore were six-18 months, depending on what it was and the brand.....remember she is almost FOUR!

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<div>Since she produced so little GH on her own, the doc ordered an MRI to make sure that there was not a tumor on her pituitary gland, because that would explain not producing her own GH. Thank God she didn't have a tumor, but at that time, we got a new diagnosis of Chiari Malformation. By now, I think everyone should know she has had two brain surgeries for that.

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<div>Back to the GHD story.

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<div>Jenna had to take growth hormone injections to grow. She started the injections just two months shy of her fourth birthday and continued on them till she was 13, almost 14.

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<div>NOTE: To date, Jenna is back on growth hormone injections to help with fatigue, bone, tissues, and organ health.

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<div>Only a few of you know that she was born with an ectopic neurohypophysis, which means the posterior part of the pituitary gland is not located in its usual position. This leads to the pituitary stalk and gland not functioning properly.

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<div>Our pituitary glands are the master gland in our body. It plays a critical role in our endocrine system by producing hormones that influence growth, metabolism, reproduction, and stress.

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<div>The three main functions of the pituitary gland are as follows:

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<div>1. Hormone production:

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<div>*Growth Hormone (GH)-stimulates growth and cell reproduction

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<div>*Thyroid (TSH)-regulates thyroid production, which is essential for metabolism

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<div>*Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH)-stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, a hormone that is involved in stress and metabolism

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<div>*Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)-controls the reproductive process, including stimulating the ovaries to produce estrogen, and plays a role in egg development

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<div>*Luteinizing Hormone (LH)-controls the reproductive process, including ovulation production

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<div>*Prolactin-promotes milk production in breastfeeding women and can affect fertility

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<div>2. Regulates other glands:

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<div>The pituitary gland controls the function of other endocrine glands such as the thyroid, adrenal glands, and gonads (ovaries and testes). It sends signals to these glands to release their hormones, which coordinate various bodily functions.

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<div>3. Homeostasis:

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<div>The pituitary gland helps maintain homeostasis by regulating things like blood pressure, water balance, and temperature through its hormonal actions.

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<div>As you can see, there are six different hormones that our pituitary glands produce. At this time, the ONLY hormone that Jenna produces on her own is ACTH. In kindergarten, she developed hypothyroidism and was placed on medicine to keep her thyroid levels up. When the time came for puberty, she was able to briefly start it on her own, but soon had to have medicine to help her continue. I won't go into more detail on that because I am sure she doesn't want all her business aired for everyone to know. Just know she is on female hormones as well. She has bloodwork every six months to make sure everything is at the correct levels.

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<div>When Jenna was 15, the endocrinologist sent her to a fertility doctor. The doctor advised Jenna that when she was older, she may want to do egg retrieval and freeze her eggs for later in life. I originally thought Jenna was sent to the fertility doctor because I had concerns over her being able to have a normal pregnancy due to my history and both of my sister in laws, her aunts, having issues as well.

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<div>This is when a new bloodwork was ordered, it was for Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH). AMH is a protein hormone produced by granulosa cells of ovarian follicles in females. It plays a critical role in the development of reproductive organs and is a key indicator of ovarian reserve. Which basically means the number of eggs a woman has at any given time. Females are born with the total number of eggs they will have for their entire life. The levels vary based on age.  

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<div>Measuring AMH provides insight into fertility and reproductive health. At puberty, follicles inside the ovaries begin to make more AMH. Follicles are small sacs in the ovaries that hold immature eggs. Females of the childbearing age have higher levels of AMH. That means the ovaries have a larger supply of eggs. AMH levels naturally decline as you age. When a woman goes through menopause, she has no eggs left, and the AMH levels drop to zero.  

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<div>As a guideline, these levels represent the lower limit of AMH values by age.

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<div>45 years old: 0.5 ng/mL

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<div>40 years old: 1 ng/mL

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<div>35 years old: 1.5 ng/ mL

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<div>30 years old: 2.5 ng/mL

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<div>25 years old: 3.0 ng/mL

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<div>Back in 2021, at the first AMH draw they did on Jenna, it was a decent number at 2.97. Other draws of AMH have been done here at home locally, and I do not have all the results because the lab we used would not give us the results! I finally got smart and asked the endo nurse to attach the after-visit summaries with the endo once they receive them. They did just that in the spring of 2025. In April 2025, her AMH was 1.42, so yes, it had dropped pretty well, but the endo wasn't concerned. Fast forward ....remember the AMH was a yearly blood draw.

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<div>August 20th, 2025, Jenna had her regular check-up with endocrinology. The doctor placed the orders for her to have regular six-month bloodwork done. She had another appointment the next day, so she said  Jenna could wait on blood work till then, so she wouldn't have to be poked twice in case the other doctors ordered blood as well.

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<div>Jenna was seen in the autonomic dysfunction clinic the following day. She was seen there after an eight-month wait because a local cardiologist told her she has POTS. That doctor advised her to wear compression socks and take in more salt, and she would be fine; if she had any issues, she should reach out to the office. The endo was not exactly happy about how our local cardiologist handled things, so she put in the referral back in January 2025 to go to the autonomic clinic. 

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<div>I am telling all this for everyone to understand that this entire story boils down to these days.

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<div>Somehow, someway, when Jenna went to the lab, they had orders for AMH to be done again this year (done once a year). We had absolutely no idea that the lab had run the AMH again until we received notification of new test results in her chart online. There is her AMH level again, and now it's 0.94!

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<div>Immediate panic sets in on me because I know that is not a good number for her age at 19. I waited on that day to see if we would be contacted about bloodwork, but the thyroid wasn't back yet. They normally wait to contact us when everything is back. I called the office the next day and left a message for the doctor. She messaged us the next morning and advised us to contact the fertility clinic. We did just that and explained the numbers she previously had, that it was now under a one, and was put on hold while they talked to a nurse.

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<div>The receptionist came back on the line and told us (we did a three-way call because Jenna was at school) that the nurse said she needs to be seen sooner rather than later. They made the appointment for September 2! We told family and a few friends what was going on so we could get some prayers going up to the good Lord above. 

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<div>Jenna and I went to that appt. As we sit in the doctor's private office, she is explaining things and drawing diagrams to make sure we understand everything. That's when she lays the whammy on us. It felt like the air had been knocked out of me, she said, due to all the hormones that Jenna does not produce; she will never be able to conceive naturally on her own. She will need IVF, no matter what. My worst fears are becoming a reality. The one thing I wouldn't wish on anyone, my child is being told that she has to endure. The doctor explains that the sooner Jenna does egg retrieval and freezing, the better.

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<div>Jenna explains that she still needs to do some thinking on it because it is such a big decision for anyone, let alone a newly 19-year-old. The doctor asked her what her apprehensions are, and of course, her biggest thing is pain. She has been told it's extremely painful. The doctor told her the worst part is the medications that she would have to take before doing the actual procedure, but for her, it probably wouldn't be as bad because she already takes daily injections. The procedure is done under sedation; little do they know that would be the ONLY way she would do this.

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<div>With all that being explained, Jenna's private life (mostly) is being put out there for everyone to know. I told her to just be honest with the professors and explain what is going on and why she’s missing classes.  I’ve told Jackie the same thing about work. This is not something we can control. Trust me, if I could, she would definitely not be going through this. 

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<div>So this here is me being honest with everyone. We need help! 

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<div>She has made her decision, and she, in fact, does want to do the egg retrieval and freezing. If any of you know anything about infertility, you know that it isn't cheap to have treatments. Of course, our insurance doesn't cover anything for the treatments, and we are responsible for the full cost of everything. The things include eggs retrieved, bloodwork,  multiple ultrasounds, multiple check-ups, anesthesia, medications, cryopreservation, and one full year of storage.

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<div>Between some major home renovations we did in 2024 and the out-of-state tuition, we just don't have the extra money to pay for this. 

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<div>We have looked into grants and scholarships for these types of medical procedures, but she doesn't qualify for any of them that we have found online. Either the deadline has already closed, she would have to be married, a veteran, a citizen of a particular state or city, she doesn’t have or never has had cancer, or they don't grant any money to egg retrieval and freezing. I will continue to search for grants and scholarships!

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<div>On top of fees for the retrieval procedure, $10,000-12,000, we will need to be close to the doctor’s office. This means for at least seven days, we will need to be in a hotel or an Airbnb and have meals all those days as well.

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<div>Here we are being fully transparent and vulnerable, asking for help. I know we’ve asked for prayers many, many times; we desperately need them still. If you could please help us in any way, we would greatly appreciate it more than you will ever know.  I know money is tight in all households. We will do everything we can to raise the money.

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<div>I am working on finding different fundraisers. The first one will be Crave Cookies. Post coming soon about that. 

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<div>If anyone has any ideas for fundraising that would not interfere with things the schools already do, please let us know.  

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<div>If you have made it this far reading, I can not thank you enough! Please remember us in your prayers. Please share anything that we are doing to fundraise with your family and friends.

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<div>We are slightly on a time clock. She hopes to have this done while on winter break (if we raise the money) in December.

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Help Jenna Have a Future Full Of Possibilities

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Still $4,035 to go. Help us build momentum.