Kandice and Christopher

"There has been a lot of hope and a lot of let downs,” Kandice and Chris shared. Chris’s daughter Leah was born with Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS), a rare metabolic disorder that is genetically inherited. She is described as, “the love of our lives, and the best part of every day.”

They struggled with the decision of how to best expand their family knowing that each subsequent child would have a 25% risk of inheriting the same disease. After years of struggles, their physician, Dr. Jennifer Hirshfeld-Cytron at Fertility Centers of Illinois recommended they apply for a Coalition Grant. They initially applied and were awarded a grant in 2015, but unfortunately that IVF cycle was unsuccessful.

In 2016, the Coalition expanded their partnerships to include Natera and the Frenzels were fortunate enough to then receive donated PGD testing. This gave them the opportunity for one final try to have a healthy child. With Dr. Hirshfeld-Cytron’s help and expertise, the Frenzels tenacity paid off in the end and in 2018, they welcomed their baby into the world!

They wrote to Dr. Hirshfeld-Cytron the following, “I know my first round with the grant wasn’t successful but it definitely got me on the right track and encouraged me. It helped me realize it was possible. I was determined to figure out how to try again and I’m glad we figured something out. It was all worth it. Thanks again for all your help. You did so much for us and we are forever grateful.”