We were married in 2018. The excitement of our newlywed journey came to a shocking halt when we learned we were pregnant while in the midst of a traumatic miscarriage. After some time and feeling like we were ready, the disappointment piled up with every negative pregnancy test. We never thought that our journey to parenthood would span multiple years, two countries and many invasive procedures, but we would do it all again if we had to.

Our journey toward parenthood has come with a lot of ups and downs, throwing in a global pandemic to make it even more interesting. For anyone who has experienced this journey, you know it is mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially tasking. As religious Jews, we understand that G-d gives us challenges that are meant to make us stronger. Through it all, we have been able to see the positive and remember that it is out of our hands.

This journey has taught us the meaning of resilience. This journey has brought us through so much growth. This journey has reminded us about what is important in life. We are so thankful that this has been our journey and we look forward to experiencing the joy that a child brings to this world. With the help of G-d, we should be able to share our good news soon, giving hope to those who are navigating through this pain.

We are overflowing with gratitude to the Coalition for Family Building for choosing us as recipients, assisting us in making our dreams a reality.

Updated: In December 2023, otherwise known as the best moment of our lives, we welcomed our son, Yehudah Moshe!

Raquel and Shmuel are recipients of the Path to Parenthood Grant from the Jewish United Fund – Chicago.