Kaitlyn and Jack's Story

This spring, we awarded Maddy's Miracle Grant to an incredibly strong couple who have faced many obstacles on the way to their future miracle baby, but through it all they have remained a team. Read snippets from their story below as told by both Jack and Kaitlyn.

During our last post-op appointment, the doctor told us that the best and safest option would be IVF. That recommendation was daunting because of the significant upfront costs. Even through it all, one positive has come from this journey: it has brought us closer together, and our marriage is stronger than ever. If we can make it through the battle of infertility, we truly believe we can make it through anything.

IVF represents more than just a medical procedure for us. It represents hope for the family we have dreamed of building together. Our journey to parenthood has not been traditional or straightforward, but through every appointment, every setback, and every difficult conversation, our desire to become parents has only grown stronger. We want to create a home filled with love, stability, laughter, and opportunity.

-Jack

Jack and I finally met in person on January 1st, 2022 after I canceled our first date because I was so nervous. Just four months later, we planned a trip to Yosemite for my birthday, our first big trip together. We hadn't yet talked about marriage or children, even though we both wanted them. As we drove into the park, Jack looked at me and said, "I can't wait until we can bring our kids here someday." | think about that moment often, and it breaks my heart to imagine that it may never happen. On the drive home, we talked about our wedding and even baby names, dreaming easily about a future we assumed would come naturally.

Over the past year, Jack and I have had many difficult conversations about fertility treatments and what we could realistically pursue. For a long time, IVF felt impossible. The cost was overwhelming. We feared beginning parenthood buried in debt, or worse, carrying that financial burden without a baby at the end. We accepted that IVF was not an option for us.

Everything changed when we learned IVF might be our only chance. Walking away no longer felt protective; it felt like something we would regret forever. We knew that fi we didn't try at least once, we would always wonder "what if".

-Kaitlyn