Help Jillian and Tim Complete Their Family

Jillian and Tim have been together for almost eleven years. In 2015, they found out that Jillian was unexpectedly pregnant with their son Liam, who will be turning six this October. Liam is a wonderful wild child who has brought so much joy to the family. Jillian and Tim got married in 2019 and decided to start trying for another baby right away to complete their family. 

They imagined having another baby would be an easy journey, as Jillian’s pregnancy with Liam was quite the surprise. Unfortunately, they have struggled significantly with secondary infertility for over two years now, and this experience has been emotionally, physically, and financially draining on them. 

Last March, Jillian and Tim started fertility treatments and experienced disappointment after disappointment, as nothing helped. Fertility treatment expenses began to build, and earlier this year, they decided to take a break from the emotionally and physically grueling treatments. 

In May of this year, Jillian learned that she was pregnant. To say that she, Tim, and Liam were overjoyed is an understatement. While Jillian and Tim were on a break from fertility treatments, they had planned to look into IVF in June. To learn that Jillian had naturally and spontaneously become pregnant before resuming treatment was a miracle. Jillian’s pregnancy was overseen closely by the fertility clinic. Several weeks after she found out she was pregnant, they received devastating news. The baby was not growing as expected. Soon after, they learned that the baby no longer had a heartbeat, and Jillian began to have a miscarriage. The ultrasound revealed a few concerning aspects that prompted them to have the fetal tissue genetically tested. Results showed that the baby had an unbalanced translocation of chromosomes 2 and 4. These results then prompted them both to undergo their own genetic testing, which revealed that one of them is a carrier of this chromosomal abnormality.

This news has been difficult to manage, as providers at the fertility clinic told them that because of this genetic issue, it is unlikely they will ever be able to conceive naturally and carry to term. The results have highlighted just how much of a miracle it is that they were able to ever have Liam. At the same time, the results are devastating as they strongly suggest that their last chance to conceive is to undergo IVF, with each embryo having to undergo chromosomal testing. 

The financial costs of this reality are impossible for Jillian and Tim to meet with their current financial situation, which is why I have created this GoFundMe to assist them. While we are fortunate to live in NYS, where many IVF costs are covered by insurance, Jillian and Tim are required to come up with a down payment of $1500 on their own and to be able to pay for lab work, ultrasounds, and other uncovered routine costs. Additionally, they recently learned that their insurance will not cover the embryonic testing that is crucial to them conceiving again. Every embryo they test will cost $750. Jillian was told by her providers to expect there to be 2-4 viable embryos per cycle; on average, it takes 3 cycles to be successful with IVF. Because of the chromosome disorder, the reality is that it may take even longer for them to conceive because the odds of having healthy embryos are not in their favor. 

Please consider donating to help Jillian, Tim, and Liam complete their family. Jillian and Tim have longed for a second child for many years now, and Liam so badly wants to be a big brother