Family Stories Danielle and SteveWhen we began discussing marriage and then children, it was very difficult to say to Steve that I was unable to get pregnant without medical intervention. At five years old I was diagnosed with Turner Syndrome, and at the age of twelve told that I would not conceive children without fertility treatments. At the time I was …

Family Stories Ashley and TareqEver since Ashley and I have been together, we would talk about our future together. Every dream started with building a family. Several months into dating, Ashley informed me about her rare genetic disease—Fabry. This is a hereditary disease related to the mutation of the X chromosome, meaning whether we had a son or a daughter, there …

Family Stories Danielle and AnthonyAnthony and I are high school sweethearts, who met in English class our sophomore year. We continued our relationship into adulthood and went on to eventually attend the same college. We were both saddened by the news that I had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 22. A few years after my …

Family Stories KimberlyWhen I was young and people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always replied “a Mom.” I always thought that I would meet the person I was supposed to be with, get married and have a decent size family. I knew I wanted to be a Mom way before I knew what I wanted …

Family Stories Priyanka and RupendraI met Ru when he came to visit his family in Nepal, after the earthquake, which affected most of Kathmandu. Later, we were married in a family ceremony in Nepal and I moved to Lisle, Illinois to join him. Both of us have always dreamt of having children together. However, it has been very challenging trying to …

Family Stories Claudette and DarrenWe met 12 years ago on Match.com, which was pre -Facebook, -Zoom and -What’s App. It was a long-distance romance, with Darren living in the United Kingdom before he moved to the United States, nine years ago, when we were married. Being in our late thirties, we knew growing a family may take a bit longer. Nine …

Family Stories Katie and SeanKatie is a carrier of Alport syndrome, a hereditary disease related to a mutation on the X chromosome. The disease causes hearing loss, cataracts, and kidney failure, and although it is inevitable that the symptoms will develop, it is impossible to know when. This disease has had a major impact on Katie’s life; her father required a …

Family Stories Brittany and MattWhile they had often discussed the possibility of adoption, Brittany and Matt’s journey really started this past March when they decided they were ready to start their family. Due to a flareup with Brittany‘s ulcerative colitis, the doctor told Brittany that it was not a safe time for her to become pregnant. Having given prior thought to …

Family Stories Sabrina and DanielMy husband and I have been together for ten years this January. Half of those years have been spent trying, without success, to have a family of our own. We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility earlier this year. The realization that not only were we unlikely to conceive on our own, but also that our insurance would …

Family Stories Allison and DavidOur fertility journey began over six years ago, after trying to get pregnant on our own for over a year. We received the devastating news that David was sterile, and we would never be able to conceive on our own. We sat down and discussed our options, and decided that we wanted to pursue embryo adoption, to give the frozen embryos …

Family Stories Sarah and SeanSean and I got married 9–almost 10–years ago. We always knew that we wanted to start a family, the only question that came up was when. We started trying about six months into our marriage, hoping for a child. When nothing was happening, the frustration began to grow. We watched family members and friends begin to have …

Family Stories Emily and MikeWe live in Chicago and have always wanted a family. But in 2017, Mike was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a form of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Mike began an immunotherapy and chemotherapy regimen which meant we would have to stop trying to conceive naturally. In 2018, we began working with Dr. Jennifer Hirshfeld-Cytron at the Fertility Centers of …

Family Stories Chaka and ChristianI am one of five in my family and the oldest at that…my father is an Army veteran and we had the privilege to grow up all over the world. Because my father was gone a lot, I had to help my mother take care of my four siblings. When we moved back to the United States, …

Family Stories Christina and BenjaminWe met in Houston in 2012, when we were both in graduate school. Music brought us together and has been at the center of our lives. Christina is a professional pianist, and Ben is a composer and pianist. We both adore children and have worked extensively with them as music teachers. We each come from very tight-knit …

Family Stories David and Matt Our family journey began in January 2018 when we were introduced by text from a mutual friend. We knew from early on we were a great fit for one another and were engaged six months after those first texts were exchanged. We compliment each other with our differences, and are united by our shared beliefs and …

Family Stories Michelle and ThomasMy wife and I have been trying for six years and we both have been diagnosed with infertility. We have been through depression, anxiety, frustration, and loneliness. My wife and I love volunteering and giving back to the community. We volunteer with our local forest preserve. We also volunteer at a center that helps low income pregnant women …

Family Stories Jessica and ScottWe are very thankful to be grant recipients. Our wish is to complete our family and this grant is giving us that opportunity. We look forward to starting this journey, and our goal is to help Jewish United Fund continue to provide this honor to other hopeful families dealing with infertility. Jessica and Scott are recipients of …

Family Stories Ariel and BenjaminBen is currently a first-year Emergency Medicine resident in Chicago’s South Side and enjoys giving back to his community. Ari has recently started a women’s health telemedicine company and both are excited to move closer to our dream of starting our family! As a veteran, Ben has been active in organizations like Veterans Anti-Violence as a board …

Family Stories Rebecca and JustinJustin and I met in college and got married in 2015. We knew kids were in the future for us. However, we knew it wouldn’t be an easy journey as I had cancer twice as a teenager and was unable to carry a baby. After three egg retrievals, we were beyond thrilled when our only frozen embryo …

Family Stories Michelle and MikeHi! We are Michelle and Mike, and we have been together for six years (married for three and a half years). We spent much time and money on dating websites, and then ended up meeting in person! Michelle was dancing for a DJ company (a second job) at Mike’s cousin’s Bat Mitzvah, and we have been together …

Family Stories Kynise and KevaIt all started at a daycare in Peoria, Illinois, where we both worked. As time went on, Kynise and I became friends. Friends turned into best friends and that turned into a relationship that is seven years and counting! We moved to Chicago in 2018 to begin our family. While in Chicago, I became the department chair …

Family Stories Andrea and RyanWe met just after college through some mutual friends. After five years of dating, we eloped at the Grand Canyon. Before starting a family, we had decided we would do all the “usual” things couples do: buy a house, save money, travel, get dogs, and enjoy just being a newly married couple. After our first anniversary, we …

Family Stories Trisha and EliMy husband and I got married in the summer of 2017. In the winter of 2019, we decided we were ready to start a family. Because we are Ashkenazi Jews, we knew we needed to do genetic testing, as we have a higher chance of having certain genetic disorders. Throughout the process, I kept thinking that everything …

Family Stories SarahI’ve wanted to have children for as long as I can remember. When I decided to move forward with becoming a parent, a family member unexpectedly fell ill, and my desire to grow a family of my own was put on hold. Now that my focus is back on family planning, I am thrilled to be able to move …

Family Stories Jasmine and ArjunJasmine and Arjun met during their medical training in San Francisco. Aware of a strong family history of breast cancer, Jasmine decided to undergo genetic testing and discovered that she carried the BRCA 2 mutation. After moving to Chicago for fellowship—and in the hopes of soon starting a family—Jasmine and Arjun decided to pursue pre-implantation genetic diagnosis …

Family Stories Yesenia and AndrewMy husband Andrew and I have been together for a little over three years. We are so grateful to have been awarded the life grant. Testing was nerve racking, but we are over the moon now that we can continue to pray for a successful IVF process. Yesenia and Andrew are recipients of a donated IVF cycle …

Family Stories Katie and AugieHi, my name is Katie and I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) six years ago. Since my diagnosis, I have been doing a lot of research and trying everything that I could to conceive naturally due to the high costs for fertility treatments and adoption. I’ve tried medications like clomid and metformin, to supplements like …

Family Stories Devan and EricMy husband and I met during my sophomore year of college. Three years prior to this I was diagnosed with MRKH disease, which meant it would be impossible for me to carry a child of my own. The news was devastating but thankfully there were options to allow us to start a family and have the life …

Family Stories Erica and DennisWe started trying before our wedding in Jan 2014 and after about 6 months with no success we knew it was probably time to see a specialist. With our dual diagnoses of diminished ovarian reserve and male factor, we jumped straight to IVF. After five IVF cycles with three different reproductive endocrinologists, eight embryos transferred, and no …

Family Stories Jessica and TimothyWe are Jess and Tim. We have been together for almost six years and married for two. Tim is a school counselor and Jess is a school psychologist, both in the same PK-12 school district. We share our love and home with Arlo, our great Pyrenees pup, and Lottie, our golden Pyrenees pup. Becoming parents has long …

Family Stories Jackie and TommyOur journey together began in February 2010, while both in the Army. By September 2011, we were married. We always knew we wanted a family, so when our son came along in June 2013, we were elated to be first-time parents. We began trying for a second child in May 2015 on our own, and began working …

Family Stories Paige and CharlesWe are high school sweethearts who decided to elope to Vegas when Paige was 19 and Charlie was 21. A few months later we bought a house and started our journey to becoming parents. Being so young, we didn’t expect this journey to be nearly as difficult or long as it has been. After a year of …

Family Stories Siobhan and EdgarWe met online in 2013 when we were in our thirties and knew that we had something special. Our wedding in 2015 was a joyous occasion of family and friends because family is very important to us. We waited two years to begin to try for our own family. Unfortunately, due to Siobhan’s diagnosis of PCOS, it …

Family Stories Rachel and TylerHello! We are Rachel and Tyler. We met in 9th grade algebra class, and although sparks didn’t fly then, we remained in contact after high school and were married in 2007. Rachel is a Licensed Social Worker and works in child welfare. Tyler has been in the US Army for 13 years, a career that has taken …

Family Stories Feryn and TylerWe have been on our fertility journey for what has felt like a lifetime. Ty and I want nothing more than to be parents. With each appointment, surgery and negative pregnancy test our hearts have each broken a little more. To us, receiving this grant is nothing short of a miracle. This grant allows us to have …

Family Stories Yesenia and HectorMy husband and I married in 2013 and the thought of starting a family so soon wasn’t in our plans because we were still very young and wanted to enjoy each other as a couple. But as a year went by we decided we would give it a try and nothing happened and after about 4 years …

Family Stories Jen and TravisHaving children has always been a part of our plan. We felt beyond ready to begin a family after getting married in 2017. With us both being in our late thirties and after six months of trying to conceive (and no luck!) we decided to meet with a fertility specialist. We knew that fertility treatment would be …

Family Stories Tiffany and SteveMy husband and I have been trying to conceive for over two years. Eventually we realized we that we may need additional help in order to conceive. I began seeing my REI, Dr. Jennifer Hirshfeld-Cytron, in September of 2018. After running several tests I was diagnosed with PCOS. We immediately began treatment. Unfortunately, my insurance doesn’t cover …

Family Stories Sarah and SeanOur story begins as two college kids that, by chance, sat next to each other in Accounting class. We can honestly say that we have been inseparable every day for the 14 years that have followed that special moment. In 2011, we got married and as a young married couple we focused on enjoying our time together …

Family Stories NitzalisHaving a child on my own was not how I had envisioned my journey to motherhood going. I am divorced and single, and couldn’t allow the twists and turns in relationships to be relevant any longer in my desire to be a mother. So here I was, reviewing donor profiles and looking for honest eyes. I went into the …

Family Stories Chrystelle and BrianChrystelle is French, Brian is a Wisconsinite. She works as a CNA and goes to school in hopes of becoming a nurse. He is an active member of the US Navy, also working in the medical field. We enjoy going on walks with our dogs, splurging on French bread & cheese, or laze around in front of …

Family Stories Katie and RobertBobby and I had a plan when we got married. Since we got married just over a year after meeting each other, we thought waiting for our third anniversary would be a good idea. That gave us three years to get to know each other as a married couple, get a bigger house, save some money, and …