Haley and Eric: Navigating Pregnancy and Loss

We met at work in 2015, but our story started in December 2016 after a company holiday party ignited a spark between us. In February 2020, we welcomed our bernedoodle Otis into the family, and have spent countless hours at the park ever since. We got married in July 2022 and set off on a few international and domestic adventures over the next year.
In September 2023, we decided we were ready to put the travel on hold and grow our family. In October we were elated to learn that we were pregnant. After what felt like a chaotic first trimester, we discovered through screening and diagnostic testing there was a chromosomal abnormality that would not be compatible with life. We elected to terminate the pregnancy in January 2024 at around 18 weeks. We have since lost two other pregnancies, one due to miscarriage caused by aneuploidy followed by an ectopic pregnancy a few months later.
We have continued to grow closer as a couple as we navigate and hold space for each individual loss. At this time, we have decided that IVF with PGT-A testing is the right step forward to hopefully help us bring a healthy child into this world.
We are so appreciative of the Chicago Coalition for Family Building and Jewish United Fund for creating a space to share these stories. We are grateful to have been considered and chosen for this grant and to share our story with others who may be navigating similar struggles of pregnancy and loss.
Haley and Eric are recipients of the Path to Parenthood Grant from the Jewish United Fund – Chicago.