Bailey's Dream

Hi, I'm Emily Rose, and I am working to raise money for medical expenses for the most genuine, wonderful, and deserving person in my life, Bailey Cook. Ms. Cook/Coach Cook, as her students/athletes call her, is a 28-year-old high school Spanish teacher in Northern Missouri who spends her free time coaching Volleyball, track, and traveling as much as possible. Bailey and I have known each other for nearly two decades, and she has brought so much joy and fun into my life since. We have been there for each other through thick and thin and even have matching tattoos to signify this! Unfortunately, right now would be one of the "thick" times for Bailey, and although I wish I could help her through this on my own, it will take a bit more this time around...

In mid-2021, Bailey discovered a mass in her lower abdomen. She had it looked at, and, within a month, the mass was the size of a volleyball. By the time it was able to be removed in December 2021, this mass had grown to the size of a "basketball with Mickey Mouse ears" and weighed 24 pounds.

As if this weren't enough, the doctors informed her that due to her condition, stage IV endometriosis, it was not a question of if a mass would return but when. Furthermore, the more the cells mutate, the higher the risk of other issues, such as cervical cancer. So the new plan was to limit growth to allow time to harvest some eggs before Bailey required a hysterectomy. As a result, she would never be able to carry her child as she had once dreamed, but she could still have other options in the future.

Unfortunately, these words became too real during a follow-up appointment in early 2022 when Bailey received more news... it looks like new growth is already forming, and one of her ovaries is no longer working. With this news, we now know the time for harvesting eggs, in the hope that Bailey can one day have a child of her own, is running short.

Sadly, egg harvesting and storage are still not widely covered by insurance, and the money for such a process can be an obstacle even for those who aren't devoting their lives to teaching. Bailey has already been denied one grant for this process, and the timeline of many others will not be fast enough for us to make this happen without further risking Bailey's health. She has already decided to put off any further treatment until she can harvest enough eggs to maintain her dream of one day being a mother.

Long story short, we need your help. The average cost of an egg retrieval/storage process is $6-10k, and Bailey cannot begin the medication required until $6,000 is paid upfront. So, any money donated to this campaign will cover the medical costs for Bailey's fertility medications, egg retrieval/storage, and future surgery/treatment costs. Please consider donating to a wonderful young woman's future and dream of being a mother.