Sarah & Christopher's IVF Journey

For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of having a big family. Unfortunately, becoming a mother was never going to happen naturally for me.

When I was 16, my appendix ruptured, causing significant damage and scarring to my fallopian tubes. I was eventually told that I had essentially no chance of becoming pregnant on my own. IVF became our only path to having biological children, but starting that journey was incredibly frightening. I was even afraid to have my damaged tubes removed because I was terrified of what that would mean for our chances of ever having a baby.

We decided to move forward with IVF and created three embryos. They were our three chances.

Our first embryo transfer did not implant. Our second transfer resulted in an ectopic pregnancy, which was devastating. After that experience, I finally made the difficult decision to have my tubes removed. We transferred our third and final embryo—and that embryo became our daughter, Sophia.

Sophia is our miracle and we are so blessed to have her. She was our last embryo, our last chance from that IVF cycle, and the greatest gift we could have ever received. We had three embryos, and only one made it into our arms. She is that one!

We desperately want to give Sophia a sibling. She absolutely loves being around other babies, and I have always dreamed of having a big family. I don't want her to grow up without a brother or sister if there is any way we can make that possible. She is also the last Donnelly in our family who can carry on our name, which makes the dream of expanding our family even more meaningful to us.

Unfortunately, IVF is our only option. My tubes have been removed, so natural conception is no longer possible.

Neither my husband nor my employer-sponsored insurance covers IVF. Our first IVF journey cost us at least $45,000 out of pocket. That number reflects what I saw billed and listed as our out-of-pocket expenses in one year, but the true cost was even greater when we consider the surgery to remove my tubes, countless doctors' appointments and ultrasounds, medications, and the additional treatment and medication required after our ectopic pregnancy. We had to take out a three-year loan to help pay for our treatment, and we are still working our way out of that financial burden.

My husband and I both work and have decent incomes, but having a decent household income does not mean that another IVF cycle is financially possible for us. After our mortgage, daycare for Sophia, food, insurance, bills, and our everyday expenses, there is very little left. We both need to work, which means daycare is necessary, and we are still paying for the financial consequences of our first IVF journey.

The hardest part is knowing that the thing standing between us and another child isn't our desire or our willingness to try—it is the cost.

Receiving an IVF grant would mean more to our family than we could ever put into words. It would make something that currently feels impossible feel possible again. It would give us another chance to grow the family we have always dreamed of and, most importantly, give Sophia the opportunity to grow up with a sibling.

As time passes, we know our window to grow our family is getting smaller. We both want more children, but we also know that we cannot take on another financial burden like the one we experienced the first time without help. Because of that, my dream of giving Sophia a sibling is slowly starting to feel like a dream I may never get to accomplish.

Sophia was our miracle when we had one final chance. We are asking for help because we don't have another chance without IVF—and right now, we simply cannot afford to create that chance on our own.

A grant would not just help us pay for treatment. It would give our family hope, give Sophia the possibility of growing up with a sibling, and give us one more opportunity to experience the miracle that changed our lives forever.

Lastly, we are incredibly grateful that IVF was successful for us on the first attempt, knowing that many families endure a much longer and more difficult journey. We certainly do not take that blessing for granted. At the same time, we hope for the opportunity to grow our family again, while understanding firsthand that IVF offers no guarantees.

How we'll use the funds: The ability to do IVF again to grow our family