Love, Loss, and Hope: Our Journey to Baby

My name is Ciera, and my fiancé, David, and I are asking for help taking the next step toward having a baby together.

I was 17 when I became pregnant for the first time. That pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and I have never been pregnant since. I’m now 37. For 20 years, I have carried the hope that one day I would experience pregnancy again and bring my baby home.

During those years, I have also helped raise a child I love deeply. I have cared for her since she was just three days old, and she is now 17. I have loved and cared for her as my own, and she acknowledges me as a mother. She also has a relationship with her biological mother and a father who is active in her life. I respect those relationships, and I am grateful for the place I hold in her heart.

The love I have for her doesn’t take away the longing to carry a child. Raising her has shown me what it means to show up, make sacrifices, and love someone through every stage of life. There is still a piece of my own journey I hope to experience: pregnancy and welcoming a baby with David.

I have struggled with PCOS, fibroids, and heavy bleeding that contributed to anemia. In August 2025, I had major abdominal surgery to remove my fibroids. The only reason I agreed to that surgery was because I was told it could help me become pregnant. I went in hopeful, believing this might finally bring me closer to having a baby.

Waking up and finding out that my right ovary and fallopian tube had been removed broke my heart. I cried. I was in physical pain from surgery and hurting mentally and emotionally as I tried to understand what had happened to my body. I also learned that my remaining fallopian tube was blocked. IVF was discussed as the likely way for me to become pregnant.

David was right there with me, and we cried together. He has three children from a previous relationship, and we had been hoping to welcome a child together. He knew how long I had wanted this and wanted so much for us to share that experience. He couldn’t take the pain away, but he stayed beside me and felt it with me.

Right now, we are trying to find a way to afford IVF so we can move forward with treatment. I work full time as a maintenance technician while pursuing my doctorate, and I’m doing what I can to build a stable future. But IVF is a cost I have not been able to manage on my own. That is why we’re asking for help.

The money raised will help pay for IVF and related medications, testing, and appointments. Your support will give us the opportunity to take the next steps toward treatment. We know there is no guarantee, but having the chance to try would mean so much to us.

It isn’t easy to put this part of my life out in the open. After carrying so much of this pain privately, I’m choosing to reach out and let others be part of our journey.

If you can donate, we would be so grateful. If you can’t, sharing our story, saying a prayer, or sending encouragement matters too. Thank you for reading our story and helping us move toward the baby we hope to welcome.

With love and gratitude, Ciera and David

What your support covers Your support will help David and me cover IVF treatment, fertility medications, testing, and appointments. Every donation will ease the financial burden and bring us closer to being able to move forward with treatment.

More than anything, you’re helping give us a chance to try for the baby we’ve been hoping for. Whether you donate or share our fundraiser, thank you for being part of our journey.