Health

Building Hope in Alberta For Infertility Patients

Are you 1 in 6 Experiencing Infertility? 

Are you one in six? Did you even know that one in six people of reproductive age struggles with infertility? In Alberta that means too many people will remain childless. Too many will spend thousands of dollars on infertility treatment trying to get pregnant. Too many will be told they need in vitro fertilization if they hope to conceive.

Public funding for In Vitro Fertilization is Efficient
The Luft family.

IVF and Success

In vitro fertilization is one of the most effective types of assisted reproductive technology. IVF is a treatment by which the sperm fertilizes the egg in a lab dish. The resulting embryo is placed in the woman’s body. To date IVF has contributed to over 5 million births. The first IVF baby was born in 1978. 

The Cost of Care

The price tag of in vitro fertilization can be $8,000 to $10,000. Medications sometimes make that cost higher. Where people struggle to pay for this health care treatment they are far more likely to transfer multiple embryos.

Brooke Berry, a Mom of three and a blogger who writes about infertility and went through IVF summed up her story in several posts. While juggling three jobs trying to figure out how to pay for  IVF she opted for multiple embryo transfer because of the likelihood it would increase her chances of getting pregnant.

Twins

Two beautiful baby boys were born. They are a blessing, but what is not a blessing is the 45 days the premature babies spent in the NICU, or the lifetime health care costs associated with multiple births.

Building Hope in Alberta relies on healthy families and sound health care policy too.

Single Embryo Transfer and Building Hope in Alberta

In areas where IVF is funded, or supported as a health care service, with public funding, single embryo transfer can be mandated. Single embryo transfer produces healthier babies. It has healthier outcomes for Moms as well. It’s sound health care policy and has been proven to be so in places like Quebec, Belgium, Japan, France, the US, Australia and New Zealand.

A recent report from the University of Alberta has shown that if public funding is provided along with appropriate regulations the province can save $97 million a year in health care costs alone and up to $179 million a year when you factor in societal costs. This kind of program is vital when we discuss building hope in Alberta and healthy future generations of children and families

No Funding in Alberta

Building Hope in Alberta Updated in 2019

But right now there is no public funding for IVF in Alberta. Quebec was the only Canadian province with full public funding for IVF, but Ontario committed to funding one cycle in late 2015. Meanwhile Quebec killed their program in 2017.

Manitoba has a tax credit for IVF.

In Alberta, the amazing organization called Generations of Hope Fertility Assistance Fund, has stepped up to help build healthy families. They support families in need. But they are only able to do that with support of others. Their premier fundraising event is a photography exhibit featuring all of the families they have helped to build.

Images of Hope Event

This event still happens every year.

Images of Hope takes place this year on March 8th. Tickets are on sale now at $125 each or $850 for a table of eight. 

You can email sponsorship@imagesofhope.ca to pre-purchase a table.

Last year’s event was such a success that this year will once again feature a catered sit-down dinner at Heritage Park hosted by Eric Francis and Kelly Abbott of Jack FM.   There will be fantastic silent and live auctions items again this year. Some of these include, a fresh In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)  cycle with medications, a guitar autographed by 15 country legends including Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley to name a few, great trips, plus many more items.     

This is the ninth year of Images of Hope – an annual volunteer-coordinated fundraising event and exhibition featuring photographs and stories about IVF conceived children and their families. All media is original and is courtesy of the many professional photographers and videographers who donate their time and talents. In 2013 the event raised $90,000.  

Become a Sponsor

Images of Hope volunteers are seeking sponsorship for Images of Hope 2014. Please email sponsorship@imagesofhope.ca for information on the various opportunities to offer support. visit www.generationsofhope.ca. Follow them on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gensofhope/

I am a valued member of the blog team for Generations of Hope, and as such I am compensated. I support this organization and believe in healthy families.

Mom of two beautiful active girls, traveller, fitness junkie, social media consultant, and keeper of the sanity.