Hefty Expenses Lead To Crowdfunding To Create A Family
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Couples unable to give birth naturally are resorting to different treatments or adoption but the expensive bills for that are leading to a new trend - crowdfunding to create their family.
Kate and Frank Collins call him their miracle. Gavin is the child this Fort Lauderdale couple believed they would never have. Before Gavin was born, Kate had several disappointments including a miscarriage, and an ectopic pregnancy.
"It was devastating to me because I had just had a major surgery to remove the baby that was growing inside me and then to find out they not only had to remove the tube the baby was in but also remove the other one. It was hard," said Collins.
That procedure left Kate unable to give birth naturally, but it was the miracle of science that brought them Gavin.
"We had to turn to fertility clinics and IVF being our only way of getting pregnant," said Collins.
IVF - or invitro fertilization, injects sperm into a woman's egg. That is then placed back in to the uterus. Their first IVF cycle, Frank and Kate got pregnant with Gavin. But they want a sibling for him and so back to doctors, and injections, and thousands of dollars for Kate's treatments. She has gone through two other unsuccessful cycles and was told to let the idea of another child go.
"I wasn't ready. I tried to put it behind me," said Kate.
However, after those two attempts, and $55,000 later, the money had run out.
"It becomes a very exclusive club that can afford IVF," said Doctor Rebecca Martinez from Florida International University Health. She is an IVF specialist.
"The average cost is 20 to 25 thousand dollars a cycle, and depending on your age it could be one cycle if you're really lucky. I've heard patients who have done 10 to 15 cycles."
So Kate and Frank have turned to the Internet in hopes of raising money to help cover the costs. Just like countless other modern couples unable to have a child naturally, they created a GoFundMe page.
One in eight couples in the United States have difficulties getting pregnant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since the GoFundMe website launched in 2010, more than $1 million has been raised in its "Babies, Kids and Family" category, where many pages are dedicated to fertility and even adoption.
Forty donors have contributed $6,695 to Fort Lauderdale couple, Donna and Jason Krumbine, who hope to adopt a little boy from China.
"We are going to apply for grants, and the GoFundMe and put everything we have towards it as well," said Krumbine.
As for the Collins, their site has netted $2,550, but in the end, no matter how much money is raised, there's always the chance there won't be a baby. Of the women who seek medical intervention for infertility, 35 percent don't give birth, according to The National Infertility Association.
Doctor Martinez believes there are no ethical issues having strangers pay for your adoption or treatments as long as there is transparency.
"It isn't for everybody. Some people would say why should I help you. Nobody helps me and that's fine too," said Dr. Martinez.
For the Collins, questions of pride or ethics don't matter anymore. They want Gavin to one day be a big brother.
To help fund the Collins IVF treatment, click here.
