Hello! We are Zack and Bri. We have been married for fourteen years, but have been actively trying to get pregnant for about three years. After lots of research, bloodwork, ultrasounds, and tests, we have learned that the only option for us is IVF, specifically ICSI.
We never imagined sharing our story with everyone, but are embracing the opportunity to invite others into our journey and ask for help along the way.
The IVF/ICSI process is expensive and insurance does not cover it. It requires substantial out-of-pocket expenses in a very short timeframe. We had our financial meeting with our doctor's office on Thursday, May 7, and quickly discovered we will need help financially to continue our dreams of starting a family.
We are humbly asking for support to help cover the IVF medical procedures, medications, and fertility-related expenses.
Any donation, share, prayer, or good vibes means the world to us! We appreciate you taking the time to read our story.
If you'd like to read more about our journey thus far, feel free to read on.
[Our Story]
When Zack and Bri first got married in 2012, they were attending college and knew that a family would have to wait. They also knew that starting a family would potentially need extra help with medical issues suffered in the past.
When Zack was twelve years old, he and his older brother were driving home from school when they were struck by a drunk driver. With the amount of trauma and injuries, Zack was not expected to live. When he arrived at the hospital still breathing, doctor's warned that he may never wake up, and if he did, he could lose the ability to speak, walk, or even recognize his family. When he woke up 23 days later, he reached out to his father and said, "Dad." He had a long journey, but relearned to walk and press on. He broke most of the bones on his right side, had extensive brain swelling that caused permanent blindness to his right eye, and has a rod fused with his right femur to this day. He went through it, but you would never know.
If that wasn't enough, when Zack was thirty years old, he had a brainstem stroke. He had the textbook "Wallenberg syndrome," leaving Zack with a paralyzed vagus nerve, left facial paralysis, and right body paralysis. He had to learn to swallow, do speech therapy, learn to walk (again), and so much more. He still has a paralyzed vagus nerve, residual numbness on the left side of his face and the right side of his body, and struggles with his balance sometimes.
Zack officially finished schooling in 2022 and got a job in Utah. They moved to Utah in October 2022, and after getting settled, decided to try and start growing their family.
As Bri was on birth control for a long time, the doctors said it may take 9-12 months to have success with pregnancy. Twelve months passed with no luck, so they started diving deeper. Bri completed an HSG to make sure her fallopian tubes were not blocked - everything looked great! Next, Zack had a semen analysis and that’s when they received the news that IVF/ICSI was needed.
They started down the path of all the bloodwork, ultrasounds, and tests and have been able to check all the boxes so that they can proceed with IVF/ICSI. It’s all becoming so real now and they are hopeful for success, as ICSI is the most common and successful treatment for male infertility. ICSI helps overcome male infertility by injecting a single sperm into a single egg to boost fertilization success.
[Thank You]
We are beyond thankful for modern-day remedies that give us the chance to start our family. We feel blessed to have worked with a great medical team thus far and for the emotional support from friends and family. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for updates!
With love,
Zack and Bri