Unfortunately this Christmas, this Arnprior, Ontario couple is still waiting to become parents and hoping for the chance to conceive.
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Waiting for Health Care Treatment
The health care treatment that has been recommended to them is in vitro fertilization with ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection). In Ontario there is no OHIP coverage for in vitro fertilization or ICSI. If this couple lived in Quebec they’d be covered and able to pursue three rounds of in vitro fertilization with single embryo transfer.
They Have a Recommended Treatment
The Lascelles are not a couple that has waited too long to conceive, nor are they looking for a handout. They want a chance to have a child, a chance to conceive. They have a recommended medical treatment. They simply can’t afford it.
Taking Matters Into Their Hands
So they’ve taken matters into their own hands and started fundraising. This is becoming a more common story throughout various provinces in Canada as couples try to raise enough money for the cost of IVF (in vitro fertilization) which can range from $10,000 to $13,000 with the prescribed medications. I wrote about Nick Beaulieu and his wife in BC earlier this year when they were crowdfunding parenthood. Nick and his wife are now expecting their first child.
But Mallorie, 29, and Dean, 31, are still struggling.
This is their story in Mallorie’s words.
Waiting for the Chance to Conceive
Two Years Later
Trying to Conceive a Child
Knowing the cause of our issue was a blessing and a curse. While we could stop wondering, we now knew that the condition was untreatable and that our best chance of having a baby would be through IVF/ICSI.
Grateful for Our Friends and Family
Our family and friends have been very supportive during this whole process. Close family knew what we were going through early on, and we let everyone else in on what was happening after we found out that we were denied the funding. It’s shocking how little everyone knew about infertility and the way the treatments work.
Many Don’t Understand Infertility
In trying to find ways to fundraise the money for our IVF, I came across a crowd-funding site where we could ask for donations towards our cause. The first few days after posting it on my facebook page and twitter we had raised almost $1,000 from family and friends. But after that, there was nothing. I posted it on a few of our local marketplace pages, but the reaction I got was not what I was expecting.
Instead of Support We Were Stigmatized
We’ve found some support through the Ontario patient group called Conceivable Dreams and we’ve raised a bit of money towards the cost of IVF. But we have a long way to go.
Please visit our site at www.youcaring.com/deanandmallorieIVF/ to make a donation. If enough people contribute even a small amount, we can start our family. They say it takes a village to raise a child; we need the help of a community for the opportunity to create one.