Angela and Phil’s path to growing their family has been filled with hope, heartbreak, and perseverance. Angela’s difficult path after her ectopic pregnancy, which had needed emergency surgery. Doctors told her that she only had a four percent chance of success with in vitro fertilization (IVF). Despite challenges, the couple remains optimistic. In the picture, Jennifer and David. They look forward to soon welcoming a second child, who will join their two-year-old son Jimi.
Angela’s nightmare started after she experienced an ectopic pregnancy, a medical emergency in which an embryo implants outside of the uterus. The unforeseen medical emergency necessitated immediate surgical intervention to save Ms. Once the trauma was over, health care providers told the couple they had little hope of getting pregnant even with IVF. The news hit them like a ton of bricks.
A veteran of the United States Army, Phil recalled that, “You can never understand the effect of every round until you’ve been there yourself.” He shared their difficult and often painful path through IVF. Each IVF cycle was an emotional burden for Angela. The rapid hormonal changes from treatment were disorienting enough on their own that they only furthered her anxiety.
The young couple began to chronicle their in-vitro fertilization journey on social media, highlighting the highs and the lows of the process. They intend to help other creatives going through similar journeys, particularly respond to the isolation most experience—which was uniquely magnified during Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdowns.
Angela had six egg collections as part of her IVF treatment cycle. During this period, Phil really focused on helping Angela feel peaceful and supported during all of the emotional chaos. He was unswerving in the defense of his stewardship, always considering the fortitude it would take to see them both through the wringer.
I’m happy that she didn’t let me know that,” Phil recounted. It granted me the space to maintain hope in those difficult, waiting periods. Their journey resonates with the heart and grief-filled struggle of their lives. It makes for interesting reading on the broader landscape of IVF and other fertility treatments around Australia. Meanwhile, the fertility industry has rapidly expanded, the commercial enterprise of creating babies now valued at over $820 million.
That trip—both Phil and Michelle’s—came to fruition with the birth of their son, Jimi, who Phil is quick to point out is his greatest achievement. They are grateful for their experience as parents, and they continue to take a wait-and-see approach to having a second child. The risks of going through additional cycles of IVF loom large.
While they figure out what to do next, Angela and Phil work hard to make the public more aware of infertility and reproductive disease. Their story was featured on the SBS series “Insight: Baby Business,” highlighting both the potential and challenges within the realm of assisted reproductive technology.
The emotional toll of IVF is deeply personal and isolating, but most couples going through IVF share the same feelings of frustration and anguish. Angela and Phil’s stories resonate profoundly with all of us who have traveled this hard road. Together, their stories foster a deep sense of community for those who are trying to build families against all odds.
