Megan and Bob

Ever since I (Megan) was a little girl, I dreamed of becoming two things: a nurse and a mother. My entire nursing career thus far has been dedicated to the care of women and children. While I have had success meeting my professional nursing career goals, I have not been successful in fulfilling my second childhood dream.

Bob and I are high-school sweethearts who married in 2016. We naively thought when the time was right for us to start building our family, it would come easily. A few years passed without any positive pregnancy tests. One of my doctors brushed off my fertility concerns and told me that my irregular menstrual cycles were probably just stress induced. If I simply "relaxed more" he thought we would become pregnant quickly.

Three different obstetricians diagnosed me with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A gut feeling, paired with my educational background in obstetric and pediatric nursing, left me searching for deeper answers. I did not feel that the PCOS diagnosis made sense based on the symptoms I was experiencing. I advocated for myself and our future family by seeking out yet another opinion and requesting further testing. I was diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency at the age of 28.

My obstetrician encouraged me to make an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist. While we were happy to have answers to what was going on with my body and health, we felt blindsided by the diagnosis. With time and support from our family, friends and doctor, we knew that it was time to step into the unknowns of fertility treatment. Our reproductive endocrinologist informed us that the best chance we have at growing our family would be through in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Megan and Bob are recipients of a Family Building Financial Grant.

In May 2023, Megan and Bob welcomed their son, Luke, to the world!