After nearly seven years of uncertainty and loss, Erin and Jason (Jay) Barreto finally have what they hoped for: a growing family. Their journey through infertility was long and painful — but ultimately, it brought them to the joy of parenthood.
Erin Barreto, Pharm.D., Ph.D., a pharmacist at Mayo Clinic, leaned on the expertise of the clinic’s Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility team in Rochester. The program is ranked among Newsweek’s top 10 fertility clinics in the U.S. for three consecutive years. In the past five years, the team has helped bring more than 1,000 babies into the world.
Erin chose Mayo Clinic because of its strong success rates and its reputation for compassionate, advanced care. Despite setbacks, she and Jay remained hopeful.
Along the way, they formed a close bond with Dr. Ali Ainsworth, clinical director of in vitro fertilization (IVF) at Mayo Clinic.
“Dr. A saw us through everything — from miracles to miscarriages,” Erin said. “She understood us because she took time to really know us.”
Dr. Ainsworth shared the sentiment. “Being part of Erin and Jay’s story is a privilege I don’t take lightly. Our work is hard, heartbreaking, but incredibly meaningful.”
A Personal Journey Through IVF
Erin’s IVF journey was both medical and emotional. She found comfort in small rituals — like wearing a special pair of wool socks during every egg retrieval procedure. These socks, funded by a past Joy Project, carried encouraging phrases like “IVF got hope” and “Lucky transfer socks.”
“It helped me stay hopeful,” Erin recalled.
But it was the people at Mayo who made the deepest impact. During her first retrieval, Erin was overwhelmed with fear. Nurse Maria Lujero held her hand through the procedure.
“She was calming and kind. I’ll never forget that,” Erin said.
Another key figure was nurse Chelsea Marquardt, who helped Erin manage IVF medications. Although Erin is a pharmacist herself, in those moments, she just wanted to be a patient.
“Chelsea was there for me every step of the way,” Erin said. “She made me feel safe and supported.”
These connections helped Erin cope with the intense demands of fertility treatment.
Caring for the Whole Person
As Mayo Clinic shifted toward a more holistic care approach, Erin found even more support. She joined the Mind Body Fertility program, led by nurse practitioner Nicole Callahan. The program offers a space for patients to discuss the emotional challenges of fertility treatment.
Erin joined when she was further along in her journey and used her experience to support others.
“It felt healing to be a source of hope for people just starting out,” she said.
Dr. Ainsworth believes programs like this are crucial.
“Fertility treatment affects every part of a person’s life,” she said. “Mind Body Fertility helps us care for the whole person, not just the medical side.”
Learning to Speak Up
Through the experience, Erin also learned to advocate for herself. One of the hardest lessons came when she received bad news unexpectedly — without her husband by her side.
“It’s routine to share results through the portal or a phone call,” Erin said. “But I realized I needed something more personal.”
Hearing the Mayo number on her phone became a trigger. “I would think, ‘They only call when it’s bad.’”
Eventually, Erin and Jay made a new plan with their care team. Jay would get the calls and share the news when the time was right. That small change brought emotional relief.
“It helped us feel more in control,” she said. “We felt more seen.”
A Family at Last
After three IVF embryo transfers — the final step in the process — Erin and Jay finally welcomed their daughter, Charlotte, during the COVID-19 pandemic. More heartbreak followed, but eventually their son, Thomas, was born as well.
Now, Charlotte, age four, loves being a big sister.
“She calls him her ‘baby guy,’” Erin said with a smile. “She’ll say, ‘Hi, it’s Big Sis!’ It’s the most magical thing.”
Thomas, now four months old, is beginning to show his personality. Erin cherishes these moments.
“Having my children is the greatest blessing,” she said. “This phase of life — sitting on the floor, doing puzzles, hearing their laughter — that’s the best part. That’s what we were waiting for.”
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