Thank you for visiting our 2017 Washington, D.C. Walk of Hope fundraising page.

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support RESOLVE's 2017 Washington, D.C.  Walk of Hope.

Your donation will help RESOLVE build a stronger community for people facing infertility. By building a stronger community, together we’ll break through the barriers that prevent millions from building a family. You will help support their programs that increase access to medical care and family building options for all who need them.

RESOLVE Walk of Hope events are a morning event where local businesses support the infertility community, share health and wellness tips, and where we walk together, 1-mile to show support for people with infertility. One Morning. One Mile. One Community.

Many thanks for your support!

Why We Walk:

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes… disappointment, loss, confusion, grief, jealousy, tears, and emptiness? We all know how the rhyme actually concludes: then comes baby in a baby carriage. Well folks, 1 in 8 couples have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. Some fertility challenges are resolved with dietary changes or ovulation kits and other situations require assisted reproductive technology (ART). Rob and I are 1 in 8, and we are ready to share our infertility story.

To be clear, the first three years of our marriage have not been dominated by unbridled disappointment, loss, confusion, grief, jealousy, tears, and emptiness. We always count our blessings and never take our good fortune for granted. We cherish time with our families and friends and dedicate ourselves to making positive impacts in both personal and professional endeavors. Yet every 29 days for the last 3 years, I have cried and ached and longed for a second line to appear on the blank pregnancy test staring back at me while Rob has hugged and soothed and wiped away my tears silently willing the impossible. We have privately wept with each pregnancy and birth announcement. We have shopped for baby gifts and graciously attended showers only to return home exhausted, jealous, and empty. We have welcomed babies and celebrated 1st and 2nd birthdays all the while pining to celebrate milestones of our own child. (To those loved ones whose showers and parties I reference: Rob and I love all of you and your beautiful babies and genuinely share in your joy, then, now, and always!)

At 31 years old, my GYN told me “to give it time” and “enjoy the process” and “don’t stress” and “remember, you’re so young.” After 12 months of negative pregnancy tests, Rob and I met with a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) at a renowned fertility clinic, hoping to find an explanation and solution to our failed family building efforts. After a battery of tests, we learned basically nothing. Our infertility was unexplained - all test results were normal, no identifiable culprit. With effectively no information to guide a course of treatment, our RE advised that treating our infertility would be somewhat of an experiment. She told us that we would likely learn something new from each ART attempt, but that it might take several tries to figure out how to achieve success. We applied and were accepted into our clinics Shared Risk IVF Program which included up to 6 fresh in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles, unlimited frozen embryo transfers (FET), and a money back guarantee if a live birth was not achieved. Medications NOT included. Self injections will be easy, we thought. The egg retrieval will be easy, we thought. We are young and will probably have success with our first IVF attempt, we thought. We were wrong.

Curious what 6 IVF cycles entail?

Endless supplements and vitamins,
No caffeine and no alcohol,
40+ vaginal ultrasounds,
50+ blood draws,
70+ intramuscular self injections,
100+ vaginal suppositories,
150+ subcutaneous self injections,
20+ acupuncture/cupping sessions,
2 endometrial scratches (yes - this is 100% as awful as it sounds),
5 egg retrieval surgeries (95 eggs collected),
6 embryo transfers (14 embryos transferred),
5 heartbreaking, gut wrenching, sob on the floor, cry your eyes dry negative outcomes…
And 1 viable, legitimate, real-life, not-dreaming, cry your eyes dry pregnancy.
The preceding list captures what we can easily measure. What we struggle to quantify is the incredibly powerful role the people around us played in our journey. The friends who dropped everything to inject my meds when I could not muster the courage to stick myself… the ultrasound technician with the warmest hugs and perfect words of encouragement… the devoted mom who listened to me cry over the phone for hours on end… the friends who used vacation time to hold my hand during retrieval/transfer… the social media family of IVFers just like us willing to talk about anything (nothing was TMI)… the coworker who literally counted down and cheered as I self injected meds on business travel… the infertility association resources available 24/7… the employer who dropped a trip so Rob could take me for surgery and wished us success even when JFK reserve coverage was low (we Delta Air Lines!)… the family members who prayed SO HARD for so long… the friends of friends of friends who wished us well… the sister who selflessly and without hesitation offered her own eggs… We love and appreciate all of you! We cannot wait to introduce our baby to the people and communities that helped us bring him/her life.

If you are reading this and know this pain, we are here for you. You are not alone. Do not give up. Advocate for yourself. Ask for support. Hold on to hope.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes… growth from loss, newfound lifelong friendships, the deepest love and respect for your partner, steadfast commitment, strength, science, hope… then comes baby in a baby carriage.