Help support Mireya through family planning

To my friends and family, as many of you may know, my dear friend Mireya Gama was recently diagnosed with a life threatening blood disease and is currently undergoing a bone marrow transplant and the intensive treatment associated with it. Along this journey, she has encountered more than her fair share of difficulties. In the process of overcoming these obstacles, she has incurred a sizable amount of medical debt. Before her month long hospital stay, she and John rapidly entered the world of family planning, as Mireya’s chances to conceive naturally after her treatment were little to none. I am using this platform to share Mireya’s story and bring our communities together to alleviate some financial stress and help her focus on a speedy recovery. Here are some words from Mireya:

Dear Family and Friends,

In June 2023, I was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, a blood disease that causes my bone marrow to fail to produce a sufficient amount of new blood cells. My treatment includes a bone marrow transplant and chemotherapy. I was referred to the department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility because chemotherapy would affect my future fertility. Due to the severity and urgency of the bone marrow transplant, the IVF process began immediately, with no time to think or plan.

This was critical for me because to know me is to know I love children and the thought of not being able to have children of my own would absolutely destroy me. There were some doubts the IVF doctors had due to my condition, as the egg retrieval was an intensive surgery and my blood platelet counts were dangerously low. Once we were finally approved, we had very little time to make some life changing decisions. Because the transplant was urgent, we would only have time for one cycle of IVF. To increase our chances of success, we decided to create embryos. Although I am very lucky that my insurance covers my transplant, the IVF medications and treatment was very costly. Almost all of the cost was due upfront, before I could even start treatment. The recovery time for a bone marrow transplant is up to a year, meaning I will not be able to work, causing a financial burden that I could not have anticipated.

There was no doubt that John and I wanted to build a family together, but we were stripped of the chance to choose when and how. I am beyond lucky to have John by my side through this entire journey.

We appreciate your time learning our story. Thank you for your love and support. If you cannot donate monetarily please consider registering to be a bone marrow transplant donor, you could save a life! This process has been a financial, physical, and emotional rollercoaster. I am hoping that with your support, we can reduce the financial burdens.