Hi friends and family, I’m Amber’s twin sister Crystal and I wanted to share a little about Amber and Luis’s journey to parenthood. They’ve always dreamed of becoming parents, and both of them came to marriage in their mid-30s, having waited for true love. Now they’re ready to grow their family together. Their journey hasn’t been easy. Amber currently faces health challenges, including insulin-resistant polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS (formerly called PCOS) and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Despite trying for 2 years, they’ve never experienced a positive pregnancy test. Both Amber and Luis have each experienced past abusive marriages, which makes their desire to build a family after finding each other even more meaningful. Children have always held a special place in their hearts. Luis spent 5.5 years as a special education teacher and 1.5 years as a teacher’s aide before becoming a Therapist where he has worked with children and adolescents for the majority of his career. He was also a Big Brother for 10 years through Big Brothers Big Sisters. Amber is also a Therapist and has spent years babysitting, caring for children with disabilities from military families during grad school, working with underprivileged kids at a local nonprofit, and supporting children with cancer post-grad school. Helping, nurturing, and advocating for kids has been a central part of their lives and now their hearts are ready to care for their own child. They’ve already spent thousands of dollars on this fertility journey and are committed to doing everything they can to bring a child into their lives. IVF, or in vitro fertilization, is a medical process where eggs are retrieved from Amber, fertilized with Luis’s sperm in a lab, and then an embryo is placed back into her uterus to try to achieve pregnancy. They are so grateful for modern medical technology that makes this process possible and gives families like theirs hope. Amber is 38 years old, and general IVF success rates per cycle are around 50%. With PGT-A testing, which screens embryos for chromosomal health, the success rate per transfer can increase to about 60%. While these numbers are encouraging and allow Amber and Luis to be hopeful, it will still be a challenging process because nothing is guaranteed. IVF is emotionally and financially demanding, and their insurance doesn’t cover it, which adds another layer of stress. They are both in therapy, processing the highs and lows, and supporting each other every step of the way. If you’re able to support Amber and Luis through Gift of Parenthood, it would mean the world to them. Every contribution big or small brings them closer to the family they’ve been dreaming of and eases some of the financial weight of this journey. Thank you for reading, for holding them in your hearts, and for helping make this dream possible. ❤️ With love, Crystal Knox