I am creating this fundraiser for my sister, Alissa, and my brother-in-law, Michael, who are in the process of their gestational surrogacy journey.

My younger sister and I were both adopted as infants. Alissa was adopted from Seoul, South Korea when she was four months old, which left her with a deep understanding of the various ways that families come together. She has always wanted a large family with multiple children, both biological and adopted. Alissa and her husband, Michael, cannot wait to start growing their family, but it has not and will not come easily for them. When Alissa was an adolescent, she was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, which ultimately means that she was born without a uterus. She has known for years that she cannot get pregnant and carry her own child. She does, however, have healthy ovaries and eggs, so Alissa and Michael are able to create their own embryos through IVF treatments. They have recently begun their journey to parenthood, with the hope of using a gestational surrogate to carry their biological child. Alissa has been saving since discovering her condition, and since marrying Michael, they have continued to put everything they can afford toward their “baby fund.” Although the end result is worth every penny, the gestational surrogacy journey is incredibly expensive, costing $150,000 to $200,000, which is not covered by insurance. Alissa and Michael are not ones to ask for help financially, but I would like to ask on behalf of my sister and brother-in-law. Any amount at all will help to relieve some of the financial strain that comes with this process. Thank you so much. A loving brother and future uncle, Barrett