Help Amanda & Dan with their IVF journey
In 2017 we embarked on a seemingly simple, yet promising journey of growing our very own family. However, we are here today sharing our story with you because it has been far from smooth sailing and in need of some support. We are Amanda and Dan Vazquez, originally from New Jersey, where we met 12 years ago, and now residents of Greenville, South Carolina. Of those 12 years, we’ve been married, and excitedly dreaming about the family we want to build, for six years. Dan is an engineer and a huge fan of Real Madrid (hope we didn’t scare away any Barcelona supporters!), and I am a nurse who loves the Mets & Jets (as you can see, IVF isn’t the only struggle). Our family and friends (and our two puppies) are incredibly important to us. Nothing brings us more joy than being able to spend time with them for the holidays, birthdays, trips, or just a simple hangout. We want nothing more than to add another member to our incredible group of family and friends.
Our Journey & Why IVF
We have been actively trying to have a baby since 2017 and were successful once with the help of medication in May of 2018. Unfortunately, it ended in a miscarriage at around eight weeks. Saddened but yet hopeful, we started seeing a specialist in 2019 who performed extensive testing to determine if either of us had a biological issue that was causing us not to get pregnant. Unfortunately, no cause was identified and we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. From there, the doctors suggested multiple methods to increase our chances before moving onto IVF. These included several types of medications and injections and two failed Intrauterine inseminations. By 2020, more than $5,000 out of pocket later and much heartbreak, we decided it was time to take a break for mental health reasons.
We weren’t ready to give up, so in 2021 we decided to get a second opinion. We underwent new rounds of testing and our results showed that if we attempted three cycles of IVF we would have a 94% chance of having a live birth. We decided this was our best and last opportunity to grow our family, so we have decided to start IVF in the beginning of 2022.
Why You
This is new for us. We don’t typically ask for money, but when we have to, like now, we know we have the best support system of family and friends that anyone could ask for. Any dollar that can be put towards this would mean the world to us. If you are unable to, we get it. We only ask for what you are able to contribute.
How The Money Will Be Spent
The number we listed here is $43,000. We don’t expect to receive that much. We understand that’s a tall order. However, we want everyone to understand how expensive IVF is and why we can’t do it alone. Of that $43k, we are contributing a significant amount ourselves – we would never ask for money without digging into our own pockets first and neither of our insurances cover any of the cost of IVF or any infertility treatments we’ve done so far. Here is a breakdown of the costs of our IVF treatment plan so you have a good snapshot of how the money is being spent:
For three cycles of IVF with genetic testing of the embryos it will cost a total of $25,600. This does not include the cost of medications which is an extra $18,000 if we require all three cycles, plus any additional procedures and unforeseen costs associated with the treatment plan.
Our plan is to use the money raised here to help cover the costs of this program/medications. If we end up having any leftover dollars, our plan is to pay it forward. We understand the difficulties that aspirational families are going through. We’ve learned that this journey is not only a considerable financial strain but also one that takes a severe toll on your mental and physical health. We would love nothing more than to pay your kindness and generosity forward. Therefore, all remaining money will be donated to another family or cause to help offset the costs of IVF.
