When asked as a child what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always– without hesitation– responded that I wanted to be a mom. Since childhood, I have had the opportunity to travel to six countries, live in four different states in every region of the US, graduate from two masters programs, explore my identity and ambitions, and …
My husband and I have been together since college and have been married since our mid-twenties. We made our living as actors and musicians for much of our 20s and 30s, and delayed starting a family until we felt we could take on the financial responsibility of being parents. We had no idea how difficult it was going to be …
We met in 2014 shortly after graduating from our respective colleges. We lived in numerous different cities across the States and finally found home in Chicago. We got married in 2020 and were excited to start our family with the values taught in Judaism. After a year of trying to get pregnant without success, we chose to pursue fertility treatment. …
Jackie and Isaac met when we were in third grade at their synagogue. We were in the same class from third grade on. Isaac asked Jackie to go to a Coldplay concert when they were juniors in high school. Despite the fact that it was very loud and we were there to listen to the music, all we did was …
Our relationship began in June 2018 through a dating app called Coffee Meets Bagel, in what we truly believe to be an act of fate. Daniel had just moved back to Chicago to be closer to his family after living eight years on the West Coast. Julie, who had been living in Chicago for many years, was getting ready to …
Marty and Ree live in Chicago and are active in both their professional lives and personal pursuits. They are excited to grow their family and feel grateful for the opportunity that CCFB has provided them. Marty and Ree look forward to giving back to the group! Marty and Ree are recipients of the Path to Parenthood Grant from the Jewish …
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, …
We met when we were teenagers. Fell in love in college but thought we should do a little growing up, finish college, live some life but were always each other’s best friend. Seventeen years later, we knew we obviously couldn’t go through this life without each other. And now we have been so happily married for 12 year. We had …
At age 32, I was diagnosed with two forms of breast cancer. I had minimal family history and tested negative for the BRCA gene as well as nine other genetic risk mutations. As I had tested negative for genetic markers and it is unknown what caused the cancer as well as my potential risk factors for the future, I have …
Family Stories Tieanna and ChristopherMy husband and I met in Florida through a mutual friend. We decided to start trying for a baby as soon as we started dating as we were into our thirties, plus I am a military service member and time apart seemed longer than time together. We got married merely weeks before I had to leave for …
Family Stories Sam and PhilWe have been together for 20 life-changing years, delighted to be married for 17 of them and aching to build our family for the last 12 to share our love of children, family and traditions. Unfortunately, our path to parenthood has not been one without strife. Time after time we were wrought with unforeseen family obligations, simultaneously …
Family Stories Theresa and PeterHello! Our names are Peter and Theresa. We are so grateful to be awarded the Family Building Grant. We met at a bar that no longer exists in Evanston, Illinois. Introduced through a mutual friend, the way we began dating was slightly different and comical in some sense. Fast forward five years and we were married in …
Family Stories Penelope and RobertPenelope and Robert were fortunate to meet later in life and after a few years, they decided they wanted to start a family together. Unfortunately, previous fertility planning decisions caused a roadblock, and their project would now require a bit of help. Luckily, they found wonderful doctors that revealed the fascinating and miraculous world of assisted reproductive …
Family Stories Michelle and JasonWe met as teenagers while working a summer job and began dating the following year. Nine years later we got married, and this year marks our sixth wedding anniversary. We always knew we wanted kids but never thought we would struggle with infertility. After being diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at the age of 18, we …
Family Stories Megan and BobEver 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. …
Family Stories Jamie and RichardWe have been struggling to get pregnant for several years. After going through three years of unsuccessful intrauterine insemination (IUI) procedures, it was clear we needed to go down a different path if we wanted to become pregnant. It took some time to mourn the idea that we were not going to be able to get pregnant …
Family Stories Erin and Joe Our plan of having a family started when we were married in 2016. Last summer, after years of trying to conceive, we found out I was pregnant. We were over the moon! Unfortunately, we lost our dream. After the miscarriage, we sought out fertility specialists. The doctors explained to us we are part of the 33% …
Family Stories Crystal and SydneyMy wife and I have been together for 13 years and married for seven. We have always discussed having children and knew it was something that we truly wanted. In early 2021, we finally felt ready and stable enough in life with a house, vehicles, and stability in our careers (myself as a firefighter/first responder and my …
Family Stories Ashley and JacobThree years ago, my husband and I were blissfully unaware of the concept of infertility and the journey it encompasses. When we found out we were pregnant for the first time in August 2019, it never occurred to us that we would never get to hold our tiny baby. We would never get to hear their heart …
Family Stories AshleyFor as long as I could remember I always wanted and dreamed of being a mom to a lot of children; even in high school. I think I was the only student in my early childhood education classes to be very excited about taking home the practice baby doll. After high school, I continued my education in early childhood …
Family Stories Ana and AurelianIn the fall of 2020, we celebrated six years together and decided we were ready to become parents. After multiple tries, our doctor advised us to try in vitro fertilization (IVF). Because of the expenses, we were not ready financially. We discussed our options with our doctor and that is how we received this opportunity. We feel …
Family Stories Dani and MattWhen Dani (pictured to the right) was seven weeks old, she began having difficulty breathing and was rushed to the hospital. Upon arrival, a team of doctors and nurses immediately started working on Dani who was in complete cardiac collapse. Dani spent three and a half weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit fighting for her life. …