Operation Tarsha Baby

Alex and I met at our last duty station in Oklahoma. We began dating in early 2010, shortly after my son turned two.  Connor and I moved back to Illinois in Fall 2010 so that I could attend college full time. Several months after our move, Alex decided to follow suit and move near us. Two years later we became a happy blended family.


We tried to start a family right away, but did not have any luck. My VA doctor in St. Louis told us that it was normal for it to take two years or even longer to conceive. She didn't take my concerns very seriously.

Alex, Connor, and I moved to Utah in May 2013 to live near his family. My doctor at the VA happened to be a Reproductive Endocrinologist for University of Utah so my first appointment with her went very well. She expressed an interest in finding out why we had not conceived.

I began infertility treatments in the Fall. I used two different medications, an injectible, and underwent four rounds of IUI (Intra Uterine Insemination). My doctor thought for sure the procedures would work for us.

After those procedures failed, the U of U performed a test to check out the functionality of Alex's sperm. That test gave us the news that we dreaded to hear:  we were going to need IVF. Not just regular IVF, but Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI).  This is where they take the sperm and manually fertilize the egg.

We met with the Reproductive Center at U of U to discuss the procedure and costs in January 2014. Our sticker shock put the quest for a baby on hold. We hoped that maybe we would luck out while we saved up. So far, that hasn't happened, and honestly, the odds are pretty slim that I would get pregnant.

I've come to accept that it will take medical intervention to make our baby dreams come true. Because you must have the funding available before the procedure, more extensive fundraising is required of us. The estimated cost of the ICSI IVF procedure will be $15000. It is even higher if we want to select the guaranteed birth option (where we would try several IVF cycles to get a live birth).

If you are unable to donate financially, we understand. We hope that instead you can pray for us and provide us emotional support during this time. It has been quite the emotional roller coaster the last year, so all the hugs and kind words will be helpful to get us through the next course of treatment.



-Emily Tarsha