Kandice and Christopher

"There has been a lot of hope and a lot of let downs” Kandice and 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 in Tinley Park recommended they apply for a Life Grant. They initially applied and were awarded a Life Grant in 2015, but unfortunately that IVF cycle was unsuccessful.

In 2016 the Life Foundation expanded to include Natera as a Partner and the Frenzels were fortunate enough to then receive donated PGD testing from Natera. 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 they are currently expecting a second child May 2018.

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. 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.”