My name is Marinda, and I’m sharing something that is both incredibly personal and incredibly important to me. Two weeks ago, I received news that shook me to my core—news I’ve been praying for since I was 19 years old. I was granted a one-time opportunity from the government to receive IVF funding. After being told so young that becoming a mother might never happen for me, this felt like the first real glimmer of hope I’ve had in decades.

But that hope comes with a very real and urgent challenge.

The government funding covers the procedures, but not the medications or the clinic fees. And when I saw the cost… my heart sank. It is so much more than I have been able to save, especially with how suddenly this opportunity arrived. Life happened—unexpected car repairs, my 18-year-old dog falling ill—and I had to put this journey on hold more times than I can count. Now that the door has finally opened, I’m terrified it could close again simply because of money.

I’ve lived with PCOS since I was a teenager. I’ve watched the years pass, knowing my egg reserve was dropping faster than it should, knowing my eggs were aging faster than I was ready for. And now, at 40—approaching 41—I’m facing the reality that this may be my only chance to have the baby I’ve dreamed of my entire life.

Becoming a mother has never been a whim or a phase for me. It has been the one dream that has stayed with me, even when everything else in my life fell apart. I have fought for this for more than twenty years. And I am so close… closer than I have ever been.

Asking for help is incredibly hard. But today, I’m swallowing my pride because this means everything to me. I am asking—truly from the bottom of my heart—for help so I don’t lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Every bit of support brings me one step closer to holding the child I’ve dreamed of for so long.

Thank you for reading my story, for hearing my heart, and for helping me believe that this dream can still come true.