We have BIG news!
We are adopting a child!
Andrew and I first want to thank you for even looking at our fundraiser. This has been a hard journey for us and even harder to even ask for help.
The beginning…..
Andrew and I married in June 2012 and immediately were ready to start a family. We built our house the same year we got married with the expectation of filling the house with babies. After a year of trying without success, we went to my OBGYN to figure out if we had underlying issues. Andrew and mine’s test came back normal. In October 2013, a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) -a procedure where dye is placed in the uterus and fallopian tubes to test for bloackage- was performed on me. Again, the rest results came back normal. In Jan 2014, we did a laparoscopy procedure to check for endometriosis. There was a slight issue, and the doctor took care of it. The doctor believed we could end up pregnant on our own within 6 months. Unfortunately, that did not happen and we were then referred to our 1st fertility clinic.
Fertility Clinic
In spring 2014, we started going to the fertility clinic to get some answers. We underwent more evasive testing. Again, the tests results came back normal. As a result, we agreed to do an IUI. [If you do not know what an IUI, Intrauterine insemination (IUI): Uses Risks and Success Rate. Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is a fertility treatment that involves placing sperm inside a woman’s uterus to facilitate fertilization. The goal of IUI is to increase the number of sperm that reach the fallopian tubes and subsequently increase the chance of fertilization.]
After 3 failed IUI attempts that didn’t result in a pregnancy, we decided to take a break. We were emotionally drained and frustrated. Upon the suggestion of a couple of our friends, we decided to try to do something more natural and did acupuncture with herbs for the next 6 months. Unfortunately, we had no success with that either. In April, we contacted my OBGYN and asked for a different clinic referral.
In May 2015, we started going to a smaller reproductive specialist. We did our first cycle in August with our new doctor, injectable medication with Timed Intercourse. In September, we found out we were pregnant! It was the best moment of our lives– we were so excited! But unfortunately at 5 ½ weeks, we lost the baby. As heartbroken as we were, we were optimistic that we would get pregnant again by doing the same thing. In December, we tried again but with no success. After consulting with our dr, we decided IVF would be our next step. Unfortunately, our insurance carrier, Tricare, does not cover ANY procedures for infertility but will help with cost of medications. So, we had to get the money ourselves and we did (approx $16,000 plus medication cost) and set up to do it in May 2016.
We did our first IVF cycle in May 2016 and transferred two beautiful embryos. It was a success!! We were pregnant again– x2!! We couldn’t have been more excited!!! My sister was also pregnant with twins so it was just the best news we could hear and felt like it was meant to be!! Unfortunately at 10 weeks, we learned our babies had just stopped growing. Again, we were devastated and heartbroken. I had to have a D&C done a few days later and we decided we would take some time off to let my body and our hearts heal.
In Jan 2017, we did our 2nd IVF cycle and transferred 2 more beautiful embryos and it was a success but at our follow up visit we learned our pregnancy failed. We decided to take a little break and try again in May 2017 only this time we were going to do things a little differently. My doctor suggested us doing an endometrial scratch procedure first. [The endometrial scratch is a straightforward out-patient procedure which is relatively painless (similar to a cervical smear test). The procedure involves “ scratching ” the endometrial lining of the womb with a very small catheter (plastic tube) prior to an attempt to get pregnant.] Also, he suggested do a neupogen wash. [Neupogen (filgrastim) is a man-made form of a protein that stimulates the growth of white blood cells in your body. White blood cells help your body fight against infection.] Both procedures were uncomfortable to say the least but if it meant success, we were all in. We transferred 2 perfect embryos and again we were pregnant but at our 2nd follow up visit we learned our pregnancy failed yet again.
Adoption
After a lot of prayer, we have decided we would like to adopt. There is a baby out there that needs us as much as we need them. We are working with an adoption agency here in Nashville to make our dream of parenthood a realty. We are currently going through the process of filing out our paperwork, then we will have a home study done and will work on a book about ourselves for the birth parents.
How you can help?
The last thing Andrew and I have ever wanted is to ask for help or to be so transparent about something so personal but we want to be parents more than anything in the world so we would do anything to make that happen. Andrew and I are trying to come up with as much of the money on our own but have realized that it is going to be hard without some help from our families and friends, especially after spending over $22,000 last year alone on treatments. So, here we are…. To get an idea of what we are looking at right now, the average cost of adoption is $32,000 - $38,000. I know it is A LOT but I figure if everyone who has ever asked Andrew, me or our families "when are you guys gonna have a baby?!?" donated $5 we will raise the money in no time! Even if we can raise just some of the money, this could make our miracle baby happen and our dream of becoming parents a reality.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank you for being part of our lives and for all the love and support you have given us.
Love Always,
Andrew & Bonnie
