Kristen and Matthew

20My fiancé, Matt, was admitted to the hospital for chronic lung allograft rejection when I met him for the first time four-and-a-half years ago. I was his nurse and, unbeknownst to me at the time, I ended up transferring the love of my life to the ICU where he waited for his second, life-saving bilateral lung transplant for cystic fibrosis. Four years, a proposal, and a third lung transplant later we are now planning for our wedding and family.

Two years ago, we confirmed that I was not a cystic fibrosis carrier, and decided I would stop taking my oral contraceptive. We knew that 98% of men with cystic fibrosis were infertile and thought that if we got pregnant, it would be our miracle baby.

We were referred by Matt’s lung transplant team to Dr. Robert Brannigan, a urologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, who diagnosed Matt with infertility secondary to cystic fibrosis and found out that the cost for his procedure alone was $7,800.

Dr. Brannigan then referred us to Northwestern to further discuss in vitro fertilization. At this appointment, we were informed about the Coalition, as neither Matt nor I had fertility benefits through our insurance. After we received a grant, we were able to become pregnant! Rylan was born in July 2019.  We are so very thankful for this grant and our little miracle!

Kristen and Matthew are recipients of a donated IVF cycle from our Partner Practice, Northwestern Fertility & Reproductive Medicine. In 2019, they welcomed Rylan into the world (see picture above) and from the very same cycle, they welcomed their second baby in 2023!