My Story of Love and Survival
Donation protected
Eva's Family Fund: My Story of Love and Survival
I'm a Jew. I’m an orphan. I'm also so incredibly lucky. I’m the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, and the daughter of a mom who was born in a refugee camp. I lost both my parents before I was 20, but the love they shared with me was so great. My legacy is one of deeply woven familial love and survival.
I want to share the love and resiliance that I inherited from my parents and grandparents, with the next generation.
I've chosen to be alive. Three years ago at 35, I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction to mitigate my 87% risk of getting aggressive breast cancer like my mom had.
I've built the most wonderful community of friends, but without siblings or cousins, unless I have a child, my family's story will end with me.
I'm doing whatever I can to change that. Almost 38, and running out of time to preserve my fertility, I've taken BIG steps to do what I need to consciously and responsibly keep my family alive.
Egg freezing. Saving my eggs will give me the best chance to ensure that my family's story of love and survival does not end with me, and that I will be able to love and nourish this beautiful legacy that I was born into.
If you have the means, I'd love your thoughtfulness and help. Does this story resonate with you? I would be greatly honored if you might consider donating to help me meet my goal.
Even if you can't give money, do you know someone whose heart this story might touch? Please share this story via email or social media.
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The NITTY GRITTY about money, if you'd like to know:
The fertility specialists suggested that I do one round of egg freezing and one round of embryo freezing. Embryo freezing gives me a better chance at having a child, but also requires that I choose the sperm in advance and is sigificantly more expensive. I have just completed my first round of egg freezing, and next month will be doing embryo freezing.
Broken Down:
Egg Freezing Costs: $13,600
$11,000
Clinic fees which include new patient fee, all tests, appointments, retrieval procedure and three years of egg storage.
$2,600
Medications for the entire process
(I was able to save about $3,000 on meds by being resourceful, accepting donated meds and finding cheaper pharmacies.)
Embryo Freezing Costs:
$18,500 due on June 6th
Clinic Fees which include all tests, appointments retrieval and fertilization.
$2,600
Medications for entire process (will be approximately the same amount as last time)
$1000
Sperm vial plus delivery
TOTAL: $36,000
***All donations $50 and over will receive special custom-made thank you cards (designed by me, and Pushcart Design ).
***All donations $100 and over will receive a really special custom-designed t-shirt (by me, and http://www.pushcartdesign.com ).
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The BIGGEST Thank You To Debra Schaffner For Making This Video, helping me figure out how/what to say and helping my family come alive again.-----
All non-archival footage is ©Debra Schaffner from the upcoming film Curse of the Mutant Heirloom .
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Some bonus family photos, all taken by my dad, who was a prolific amateur photographer.
My mom with my grandpa Jack, on the Lower East Side.
My grandparents Gladys and Saul with me.
Me and my mom.
I had such an amazing start to life, with two parents who were so good and gentle and loving.
I'm a Jew. I’m an orphan. I'm also so incredibly lucky. I’m the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, and the daughter of a mom who was born in a refugee camp. I lost both my parents before I was 20, but the love they shared with me was so great. My legacy is one of deeply woven familial love and survival.
I want to share the love and resiliance that I inherited from my parents and grandparents, with the next generation.
I've chosen to be alive. Three years ago at 35, I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction to mitigate my 87% risk of getting aggressive breast cancer like my mom had.
I've built the most wonderful community of friends, but without siblings or cousins, unless I have a child, my family's story will end with me.
I'm doing whatever I can to change that. Almost 38, and running out of time to preserve my fertility, I've taken BIG steps to do what I need to consciously and responsibly keep my family alive.
Egg freezing. Saving my eggs will give me the best chance to ensure that my family's story of love and survival does not end with me, and that I will be able to love and nourish this beautiful legacy that I was born into.
If you have the means, I'd love your thoughtfulness and help. Does this story resonate with you? I would be greatly honored if you might consider donating to help me meet my goal.
Even if you can't give money, do you know someone whose heart this story might touch? Please share this story via email or social media.
-------------------------------------
The NITTY GRITTY about money, if you'd like to know:
The fertility specialists suggested that I do one round of egg freezing and one round of embryo freezing. Embryo freezing gives me a better chance at having a child, but also requires that I choose the sperm in advance and is sigificantly more expensive. I have just completed my first round of egg freezing, and next month will be doing embryo freezing.
Broken Down:
Egg Freezing Costs: $13,600
$11,000
Clinic fees which include new patient fee, all tests, appointments, retrieval procedure and three years of egg storage.
$2,600
Medications for the entire process
(I was able to save about $3,000 on meds by being resourceful, accepting donated meds and finding cheaper pharmacies.)
Embryo Freezing Costs:
$18,500 due on June 6th
Clinic Fees which include all tests, appointments retrieval and fertilization.
$2,600
Medications for entire process (will be approximately the same amount as last time)
$1000
Sperm vial plus delivery
TOTAL: $36,000
***All donations $50 and over will receive special custom-made thank you cards (designed by me, and Pushcart Design ).
***All donations $100 and over will receive a really special custom-designed t-shirt (by me, and http://www.pushcartdesign.com ).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The BIGGEST Thank You To Debra Schaffner For Making This Video, helping me figure out how/what to say and helping my family come alive again.-----
All non-archival footage is ©Debra Schaffner from the upcoming film Curse of the Mutant Heirloom .
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Some bonus family photos, all taken by my dad, who was a prolific amateur photographer.
My mom with my grandpa Jack, on the Lower East Side.My grandparents Gladys and Saul with me. Me and my mom. I had such an amazing start to life, with two parents who were so good and gentle and loving.Organizer
Eva Silverman
Organizer
Oakland, CA
