Stephanie and Brandon met when they were in high school and became good friends. They began dating the summer of 2011. Their families would joke that they were attached at the hip and one couldn’t do anything without the other. They truly were inseparable and anyone who knew them, said that their love was going to be forever. They were married in 2017 and have been together nine years. Stephanie is currently employed at the Hamilton County Justice Center and is pursing her bachelors degree in criminal justice. Brandon is an automotive technician.
When Stephanie was 19, she thought she was having pregnancy “scares.” After going to the doctor she was diagnosed with a severe form of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). She was told it wouldn’t be impossible for her to have children, but it might be hard and she would need some help. Stephanie ended up having a laparoscopy to check for endometriosis. Her doctor told her the good news was that she didn’t have endometriosis, but instead, he discovered she had a condition called severe pelvic congestion which he had never seen in anyone her age in his 35 plus years of practice. This condition is usually only found in woman who have had at least 1-2 pregnancies, and Stephanie had never been pregnant before. She later ended up finding out she had a slightly tilted uterus. They did an HSG test and found her tubes were clear so Stephanie and Brandon tried to get pregnant for three years with fertility medication and the assistance of her OB/GYN, never successfully falling pregnant.
After years of no success, Stephanie and Brandon were then referred to the Institute of Reproductive Health. They went through six failed IUI’s over a year and a half before they were told that IVF would likely be their best option. Stressed with the financial burden that comes with IVF, Stephanie and Brandon came across the Parental Hope Grant. After their sixth failed IUI and the financial burden of IVF hanging over them, they knew Parental Hope may be their last chance for a family.
“Going through the struggle of infertility is no easy journey, and we are lucky enough to have each other though this battle. Now, we’ve been able to add the Parental Hope family to our journey! We cannot thank Parental Hope enough for the incredible opportunity they have given us and we’re blessed beyond belief to have them by our side. They have restored our Hope in once again possibly being able to have a family!”