Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Images of Hope from the wonderful Generations of Hope. The purpose of the event is to raise money to help families pay the heavy costs of IVF treatments. The price of IVF is very expensive (over $9000), and it can be a heavy financial burden so the thought that someone is helping these couples have a family eases the anguish in my heart.
While attending the Images Of Hope gala I had the wonderful experience of sitting with a couple who was able to receive a grant from Generations of Hope and were successful in becoming pregnant. It was amazing to hear their story, and a short video telling their story was shared that night. I was so excited to share it here because nothing is more inspiring than hearing this story.
The underlying theme of the night was that there is not one single cause of infertility. Everyone has their own story as to how they got there, what they needed help with, or how they approached it. Every story is different, and I am so grateful that I get the chance to share mine. Sitting in a waiting room with a room full of people experiencing the same thing as you, and it becomes so awkward to talk about that we just don’t. Not talking about it sucks.
I was always hesitant to talk about my story of infertility because its awkward. While sharing my story seemed scary, the support, love and help I have been able to receive as well as share has been amazing. The letters I get in my email about people that just need to know that someone else has been there too. That is why I share my story. (You can see all of my IVF and infertility related posts here).
And now here is Kevin and Amber’s story.
I am proud to be a part of the Generations of Hope social media team, as I 100% support publicly funded In Vitro Fertilization in Alberta. Feel free to follow the conversation by following @gensofhope or searching #ABHC4IVF #abpoli on Twitter or Facebook.
Brooke: This is so very true. You have to tell the stories first for people to connect with them and understand that infertility is a health issue. I loved spending time with you again and I really enjoyed meeting the two couples featured. Thanks for continuing to share your story. It is a very important one.