Allyson and Matt’s story began in St. Louis when they were 12 years old, and their families met through the synagogue. Shortly after, they started at the same middle school. They became friends and then dated throughout high school. College took them in separate directions, but after graduating, they reunited at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Allyson jumped into Matt’s arms, and they reconnected as if no time had passed. The rest is history.
In Allyson’s mid-20s, her mother passed away from a rare genetic disease. Five years later, they got married in 2021 and decided to start a family. Allyson was advised by her doctors to undergo IVF, as she could be a carrier of the gene causing this disease. IVF provided the opportunity to genetically test their embryos using PGT-A and PGT-M prior to implantation, allowing them to ensure that their children would not inherit the genetic disease that Allyson’s mother had.

They began IVF in 2021, and the journey proved challenging. After two unsuccessful transfers, their third attempt resulted in their dream come true—the birth of their daughter, Naya Shae Sherman. She is now 15 months old and perfect in every way.

This year, they decided to start trying for a second child to give Naya a sibling. The costs quickly accumulated with the second round of IVF, including egg retrieval, embryo storage, PGT-A and PGT-M testing, and frozen embryo transfers. Despite these hurdles, they are immensely grateful to JUF and the Chicago Coalition for Family Building for their kindness and generosity in helping families like theirs complete their journey.

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