Operation Baby Schram
Donation protected
Some of you may know we began trying to grow our little family (furry & scaly members excluded) since 2019. After surviving high school together, graduating side by side, navigating adulthood, etc, infertility was not something either of us anticipated. It feels strange asking our family & friends to help us make a baby, but here we are.
Through this journey, we’ve experienced a multitude of emotions. This has been the hardest battle we have faced so far & some days are easier than others.
We sought out infertility testing after a year of no luck. Then followed a series of expensive & uncomfortable (some painful) tests, we were left with more questions than answers. Hearing “unexplained infertility” was unexpected & left us nonplussed. At this time we decided to look into other options before pursuing IUI or IVF.
We delved into adoption research &/or getting our foster care license which only left us disheartened. Adoption being astronomically expensive & foster care not being feasible for us at this time. It took us 2 years of research & discussions to decide to move forward with IVF (In-vitro fertilization).
Our doctor believes we are great candidates & is very positive IVF is the way to go. We are both young, active, and healthy (Tanisha just recently ran the Tacoma City Half Marathon #humblebrag). The national average for women younger than 35 are able to become pregnant by IVF on the first try is 55%. We like those odds!
Even with odds in our favor & an optimistic reproductive care team, we all know anything medical-related costs a pretty penny. We are trying to remain positive, even after learning our insurance does not cover any fertility treatments. IVF is a very costly treatment, approximately $17,000, not including medications or any additional tests or procedures we may need.
We are ready to be parents & have so much love to give. Even after sharing 14 years together, our end goal has always remained the same: to grow old together & have a family.
Here are a few reasons why we would make great parents:
- Dad jokes galore
- Plethora of coloring books & crafts
- Disney Karaoke is Tanisha’s jam
- Zach’s got the history & geometry homework; Tanisha’s got spelling & algebra
- We can keep dogs, cats, lizards, & plants alive
- We already know how to clean up pee, poop, & vomit
- Both have careers that involve caring for other people
- We know CPR & have both completed 10+ hours of caregiver/foster care training
Neither of us can wait for the day we hold baby Schram in our arms. Starting a donation page wasn’t something we thought would be on our 2023 bingo card, but our burden is heavy & we’re asking for help. Over the years we have learned that it takes a village, and this saying applies to so much. It took a village to help us get through school, it took a village to plan & execute our wedding, it took a village to move into our home, so here we are… Asking our village for help.
Words can’t describe how appreciative we are for the love & support over the years, we ask that you be gentle with our story as it is not an easy one to share. Please know that any amount of generosity means the world to us, whether it’s sharing this post, donating, prayers, positive vibes, etc.
We thank you for your support in helping with Operation Baby Schram.
Now enjoy some cute pics of our family!
Organizer
Tanisha Schram
Organizer
Puyallup, WA