A February ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court, which declared that frozen embryos are children with a right to life, has led to uncertainty and concern among families undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Some clinics paused or closed following the decision, though many have since reopened. However, the ruling continues to cause anxiety for those navigating fertility treatments, including Corinn O’Brien and her family.
O’Brien, who had just completed her second round of IVF when the decision was made, faced heartbreaking news. “I was six weeks pregnant the day the decision came down,” O’Brien recalled. At my six-week ultrasound, I was told the baby likely wouldn’t survive, and we eventually had a miscarriage.” O’Brien had been struggling with secondary infertility for over four years, attempting to give her daughter, Louise, a sibling.
The Supreme Court’s decision left O’Brien uncertain about her next steps. In response, she founded “The Fight For Alabama Families” to raise awareness about the challenges faced by families like hers.
Despite the setbacks, O’Brien is now 10 weeks pregnant with her second child following a third round of IVF treatments.
Jamie Heard, who is also struggling with infertility, shares a similar story. After an unsuccessful IVF attempt, she is weighing her options for the future. “We’re trying to decide, do we want to go ahead and do another transfer, or do we want to wait a while? We know IVF is a long, exhausting process,” Heard said.
In response to the ongoing challenges, O’Brien, Heard, and other families recently launched the “IVF Made Me” campaign. The initiative aims to humanize the IVF process by sharing real stories from families affected by infertility. “The goal here today is just to let the community know and see the real faces and families behind this IVF process because it’s been so politicized,” Heard said.
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