Desperate times call for humbling decisions.

For the past 5 years Pete and I have been trying to start a family. Unfortunately we knew early on that the conventional way wasn't an option for us.

For the first couple of years the military healthcare system was less than helpful outside of telling us some of the reasons why we couldn't. After much effort we packed up and moved home hoping stability and comfort would be the ticket to making this happen. Unfortunately, insurance barely helped the beginning attempts and here we are now, no closer than we were in March of 2022.

We are struggling to remember who we are and who we were, why this is so important to us, and ultimately is this worth it to keep fighting for? It's been an emotional and financial rollercoaster to keep a roof over our heads, financially support our attempted family, and make it through work to keep both of those things possible. All of this and putting the smile on and facing the world as if we weren't struggling.

In the end we are at a much better clinic, in a much stronger relationship thanks to hormone treatments controlling my mind (sorry Pete ), and a really loving supportive support system that is always there when you need them most.

Unfortunately though, we have stumbled into the medical bill pit hard. We are still attempting to pay off the last cycle and here they are billing us for this one. To any of those reading that have been through this, or those who know someone else who has, fertility medications, procedures, they all add up pretty fast and unfortunately we are at the highest price with IVF being our only option. It doesn't help that we require a couple additional expensive tests and procedures to prep my body for the actual implantation. We want to give this one more shot. We are officially completely out of pocket, having exhausted our medical insurance benefits. We are putting it all out there and seeing if we can make starting a family possible before we adjust our life, our original idea of what our future would hold, and a small piece of our dignity that this process has taken away from our inner beings.

Ever so humbly we're asking for help in a very personal time that should be able to be a private loving thing between spouses that we now feel forced financially to make quite public. To anyone reading this you probably know what Pete and I are willing to do for our friends and family and also probably know how terribly hard this is for us to ask for. Our intention isn't to financially damage anybody by making you feel obligated, but anything helps if you're able to.

So, to end this long rant and plea, can you help our dream become a reality? Can you help take a bit of the weight we carry daily off? I will be in debt to you for the rest of my life and one day I will hopefully be able to say to our child(ren) that in the toughest of times we have the support system that will be there for the good, the bad, and the unknowns because of what we are willing to do for them, and because who they know us to be. They will know that without this support system that the world would be a very different place.

Thank you for taking the time to read this until the end. Thank you for continuing, regardless of your ability to help, to be the best support system we could ever ask for.

Much love to you all,

Emily and Pete