CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A new baby is a blessing, but for some couples the struggle to conceive is real.
A couple who knows that battle first hand decided to give back. Logan and his sister, Violet, are miracle babies in the eyes of their parents, David and Jen. They battled infertility. It took several rounds of IVF to have the twins.
There was an emotional cost but a minimal financial one. Insurance covered their treatments but that's not the case for other couples. One round of IVF can be $8,000 plus the cost of medication. Only 15 states have passed laws requiring insurers to cover the diagnosis and treatment.
David said, "So we started researching non-profits that help people working towards infertility and what we were realizing was very few provided financial assistance to those battling infertility."
David and Jen decided to do something. With four other infertility patients they formed Parental Hope. It's a non-profit that provides financial assistance for other hopeful parents-to-be.
But that's not all, "To see those 5 day embryos and see Violet and Logan, it makes it real. Embroys are children, that was driving force. I can't discard them, I can't trash them," said Jen.
Jen and Dave donated two embryos to a couple who's now pregnant with their biological child. A decision they put a lot of thought into.
"That's why we stuck with closed adoption, anonymous adoption. We just didn't want to get wrapped with how they are raising the child. Because legally it's theirs. Sure, have our genetic make, up but it's theirs," said Jen.
Embryo adoption is nothing new but it is becoming more popular. Unfortunately there are more couples that want one than there are willing to donate. There is a one year wait list. A lot of the people on the list are patients that went through chemo or other treatments that destroyed the function of their ovaries. But there are lots reasons couples have problems conceiving. In fact, one in eight go through it.
For Jen and David having the two little ones was a blessing. One of life's miracles that they hope other couples get to experience.
