A Grand Adventure is About to Begin

“A Grand adventure is about to begin.” Winnie the Pooh

I am sharing my daughter Kari and her wife Kelly’s story to help them realize their dream of becoming parents.  I thought it best to let you hear their story from them, written by my daughter Kari who is ready to start the process.  I will say that watching these two interact with children puts a smile on my face and melts my heart. 

Kelly and I meet five years ago, and we both knew that when we found the right person we would want to start a family of our own. Wanting to become parents strengthened our connection to each other. A strong love for children and family. This love takes our happiness to the next level when we are with kids, doesn’t matter the age or what we are doing—though we enjoy family gatherings, games and reading—there’s nothing better than teaching them how to swing a baseball bat or shoot some hoops.

Before I met Kelly I was helping my brother and sister-in- law raise their twin boys, my nephews Jacob and Tyler. Being a part of their lives, as well as my other nephews Jackson and Ashton is what cemented not only my desire for children, it also made me realize how much I was truly able to give.   As you can see from the picture of Kelly holding little Olivia, it became crystal clear to me that she shares the same love for children.  It brought us to the realization that being gay women would not get in the way of parenthood.   

To share this strong desire with Kelly was the cherry on top of the sundae.  We knew it was time to begin our journey to start a family last year after we committed ourselves to each other by exchanging vows in front of friends and family.

Being a same sex couple adds challenges, as you can imagine in starting a family. We found a wonderful fertility clinic and for the past year Kelly has gone through many cycles of intrauterine insemination (IUI) that were unsuccessful. Though very disappointing, we both maintain our commitment and won’t let this set us back. Kelly handed the baton to me and I immediately took off for the finish line.

Now, it is my turn to try to conceive. After numerous tests and procedures it looks as though in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is going to be my most advantageous option.  Unfortunately, insurance does not cover any of these expenses. It has taken much thought and consideration as to whether we should reach out to friends, family and strangers. Since this is so important to us we decided to let mom put this out into the universe. We know it takes a village to raise children and sometimes it takes a village to bring them into the world.

Our goal is to raise enough funds to get through one to two cycles of IVF. The average cost for one cycle is approximately $5,000. This includes doctor’s fees, blood work, ultrasounds and of course the donor sperm. We would be forever grateful for any contribution that you would be inclined to donate. Any funds that are not needed would be paid forward to another couple in need of backing to start a family.

We thank you for your consideration in supporting our dream to become the loving and caring parents that we know we can and to continue our family legacy. To help us get the word out, please share this link on your Facebook timeline.