Family Stories
Dana and Sam
We married in 2017 and knew that we wanted to start our family as soon as possible. When two years spent trying had passed without any success, we scheduled an appointment with a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist. That first evaluation would help diagnose Dana with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Hypothyroidism. Finally, we had some clues to why we were having difficulty. After more tests and five months of failed medicated cycles, we decided that IVF would be our next best option.
We married in 2017 and knew that we wanted to start our family as soon as possible. When two years spent trying had passed without any success, we scheduled an appointment with a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist. That first evaluation would help diagnose Dana with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Hypothyroidism. Finally, we had some clues to why we were having difficulty. After more tests and five months of failed medicated cycles, we decided that IVF would be our next best option.One weekend in March 2020, before COVID would ultimately put a halt on society, we had a frozen embryo transfer with our only viable embryo. The two-week wait before taking a pregnancy test were fraught with many emotions. We were devastated when we learned that it was not yet our time to become parents.
The weight of not having any insurance coverage for fertility treatment is an expensive reality for many Indiana-based couples like ourselves. With Sam’s urologist recommending additional tests and procedures, our goal seemed even further out of reach.
Amid the pandemic, we took time off from fertility treatments to try on our own and focus on our mental and physical well-being. Infertility is stressful and isolating. It can take a toll on the human spirit. It is okay to seek medical intervention and mental health therapy. It is also important to find support within the infertility community. You are not alone!
Since our first IVF cycle, we have made lifestyle modifications that have improved both our health and mindsets. We have been working again with our doctor and were encouraged to apply for an IVF cycle grant. When hope seemed lost, this opportunity has restored our faith and reaffirmed that we can do hard things. Thank you to the Chicago Coalition for Family Building for the work made possible through your organization.
Dana and Sam are recipients of a donated IVF cycle from our Partner Practice, Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine. In November 2022, baby Margo was born!