Their IVF Journey to Parenthood: A Story of Hope, Heartbreak

My name is Melissa and I have created this page to support my niece Cailan and her husband Trent.

For the past seven years, they have been walking a path no one never expects— one paved with heartbreak, resilience, and an unwavering dream of becoming parents.

In 2020, their lives were forever changed when, at just 25 years old, Cailan was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure. Doctors told them she had less than a 1% chance of ever conceiving naturally. Cailan was already entering perimenopause, and with those words, the future they had always imagined seemed to vanish.

They were shattered — emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Still, they clung to hope. They turned to IVF and endured round after round, each one more draining than the last. As the world shut down during COVID, they too felt isolated, locked away with their grief and uncertainty, trying to stay hopeful as the months and years passed. But none of those IVF attempts worked, and eventually, their second IVF doctor told them that their only remaining option was to use donor eggs.

It took them months — and many tears — to come to terms with this new reality. Accepting that they couldn’t conceive with Cailan’s eggs was one of the hardest things they’ve ever done. But their dream of becoming parents was stronger than their fear.

In 2023, they became their Donor Egg process and due to laws and a shortage of donors in Australia their specialist suggested Hawaii, so they travelled across the world to Hawaii for their first donor egg IVF cycle. They stayed in Hawaii for three weeks, filled with hope and anticipation. They pictured their future every single day — the baby names, the first cuddles, the nursery they had dreamt of. But once again, their hopes were dashed. The cycle failed.

Later that same year, they decided to travel back to Hawaii to try again with a new protocol. And finally — finally — they received the call to inform them they were pregnant. They cried. We celebrated. They shared the news with their families and soaked in the joy they had waited so long to feel.

But just two weeks before Christmas, they lost the baby they had so longed for.

They have no words for that kind of grief. The pain was unbearable. But somehow, they carried on.

In early 2024, an observant sonographer suggested that Cailan might have endometriosis — something that had never been investigated despite years of symptoms. It turned out to be severe. Growths had even invaded her bladder, likely explaining the years of failed treatments and pain. In June 2025, Cailan underwent major excision surgery, and for the first time in years, they feel like her body has a fighting chance to carry a pregnancy but time is limited.

Their journey has tested every part of them — not just their bodies and hearts, but also their finances. Between IVF cycles, international donor programs, travel, procedures, and surgeries, they’ve spent close to $200,000. They’ve drained their savings and stretched themselves in every possible way.

And yet, despite everything, they still believe. We all still hope.

They still have embryos waiting for them in Hawaii. They know in their hearts that their baby is out there — they are just hoping for one more chance to bring them home.

But they can’t do this alone anymore.

Which is why we are asking for assistance to help fund their trip to Hawaii in October 2025.

If you feel called to help — through a donation or simply by sharing their story — you will be helping them take one more step toward the family they’ve dreamed of for so long. One step closer to holding their miracle baby in their arms.

From the bottom of our hearts: thank you. Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping them carry this dream when it’s felt too heavy to hold on our own.

With all our love and deepest gratitude.