Infertility is overwhelming and can be very devastating. It can affect anyone, of any background, and anywhere around the world. It is more common than people assume and can be caused by many different things. As I've mentioned before going through infertility is a difficult process with both physical and mental challenges. It may be a bit easier to deal with infertility by sharing the journey with others. Some people have come up with ways to help each other in the community by providing emotional support. After starting this blog, I realized that most people in the community are willing to share their stories in order to help other couples undergoing the challenges of infertility. I have come across many inspiring stories and had the opportunity to learn a lot from these couples. One of the stories which I want to share with you is the story of Jenny and Richard Grace. I reached out to Jenny on instagram (@ride4infertility) when I first came across her profile. I realized that they were hosting a fundraising event to raise money for the costs of fertility treatment. Their story is one that moved me tremendously. Jenny's strength and optimism is one that I aspire to.
Jenny was only 20 years old when she experienced one of the most horrific events that can happen to anyone. She was taken by a gang and was brutally assaulted over the period of 3 days. She was eventually able to escape but knew that her world had changed forever. Being a survivor of such brutal events must have been extremely difficult but she continued to push through. Less than one year after the event, she was admitted to the emergency room for extreme pelvic pain. It was diagnosed that as a result of the trauma, her fallopian tubes were damaged and infected. She was only 21 years old at this point. The doctors told her that she would have to have her ovaries and tubes removed. This was devastating because she had always imagined herself as a mother and knew this would take that away from her. She however refused to give up. She was hospitalized for 2 weeks and underwent an emergency surgery. Once again, she defied all the odds and had a successful operative surgery. None of her organs were removed, but the doctors informed her that her chances of a natural pregnancy were very low. Even though this news was not what she had hoped for, she knew she couldn't give up. Going through everything had made her very strong and she knew she would survive this too.
When she started dating Richard, she shared her story with him. She did not want to be viewed as a victim or treated any differently but wanted Richard to know the truth. He ofcourse was blown away by her willpower and tenacity. He admired her strength and wanted to help her overcome everything. She soon took over in taking care of Richard's children. She ensures that they have the best possible opportunities in life. But, she has never given up in her journey to pregnancy. Sharing her experience is difficult and painful for her but she has worked hard to not be defined by what happened to her. Sharing her story with others shows that we are all capable of overcoming horrible events that are out of our control. She takes great pride in this, as do I after hearing her story. When I first messaged her on instagram, I had no idea what her story was all about. I was in awe of her strength and was truly inspired when she shared this with me which is why I decided to share it here.
Jenny and Richard tried to conceive naturally for over a year and decided to seek help when they were not successful. After completing their tests, they were informed that their option for pregnancy was to undergo IVF. Just like most couples, this diagnosis was emotionally difficult to accept. Jenny has worked hard and overcome many parts of the traumatic event that happened to her 9 years ago. Infertility is one that she has not been able to overcome yet. However, they are not giving up on their dream of having a child. Their prognosis for IVF is believed to have high success rates which is promising. Nonetheless, going through IVF without insurance coverage is expensive and totals to approximately $12,000. This is more than most couples can afford which is why they look for other ways to fund their treatment. Jenny and Richard decided to start a fundraiser to raise some money to help with these costs. They also recently had an event called "Ride for Infertility" for raising additional funds. They are not stopping there and are planning to continue their fundraising efforts to raise money for other couples who may have difficulty paying for the procedures.
The financial burden of infertility treatment is more than some couples can afford. The treatments are expensive and because there is no 100% guarantee that they will result in a healthy baby, the treatments may have to be repeated multiple times. And so the costs add up. There are some insurances that partially cover medications. There are some loans and financial institutions that may be able to help. However, the finances can not be ignored. What Jenny and Richard are doing in raising funds not just for themselves but also for other couples deserves acknowledgement and praise. If you are interested in helping this great cause, you can contact me or Jenny directly. You can also directly make a donation on their gofundme page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/journey-for-a-baby-grace&rcid=r01-156511651713-7bd23929bf8f4d46&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_m
They also have a facebook page which is another way to contact them: https://www.facebook.com/rideforinfertility/
It would be greatly appreciated for any donations to help couples in their journeys to parenthood.
