I'm creating this fundraiser for someone very close to me. I've watched her go through this journey, carry the hope that each treatment might finally work, and experience the heartbreak when it didn't. After seeing how much this has taken out of her, I wanted to do something that might help. She already has the greatest gift she could ever ask for: her little girl. And her daughter is the reason she hasn't given up on growing their family. She's a single mom, and their immediate family is very tiny. When she looks at her daughter, she thinks about all the years ahead of her and the family who will walk through those years beside her. She has a sibling of her own, and that relationship has meant more to her than she can put into words. They share their childhood, their history, and all those little family memories that belong only to them. Becoming a mother has also made her think about something that's difficult to say out loud: one day, she won't be here. Because their family is so tiny, she sometimes worries about what her daughter's world will look like when that day comes. Who will remember where she came from? Who will share the stories and memories that made up her childhood? Who might she have to lean on when life gets hard? She knows having a sibling can never guarantee any of those things. But she knows what having her own sibling has meant to her. If she can, she wants to give her daughter the chance to have that kind of lifelong connection too. Someone who might one day look at her and say, "I remember that too." Getting there has been much harder than she ever imagined. She's already gone through multiple fertility treatments, carrying hope into each attempt and experiencing the heartbreak of having to start over when they didn't work. Now, IVF offers another path forward. Her fertility journey is also complicated by a genetic condition that requires additional testing as part of the process. IVF with genetic testing has become an important part of her path forward, but the cost is more than she can reasonably carry alone as a single parent. Asking for help with something this personal isn't easy. I also understand that someone may see the photograph of her daughter and think, "But she already has a child." She does. And she is profoundly grateful for her. This isn't about believing she is owed another child. It's about a mother who, after everything it has taken to get this far, isn't ready for the financial barrier to be the reason she has to stop trying. On the hardest days, she pictures another little hand reaching for her daughter's. Two children growing up together and making memories that someday will belong only to them. That's the possibility she's still holding onto. I've watched the highs and the heartbreak of this journey from beside her. I can't change what she's been through, but I can try to make the next part a little easier. That's why I'm sharing her story and asking for help on her behalf. If you choose to contribute, your kindness will help cover the IVF treatment and genetic testing needed to give this family that chance. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings them one step closer. And if donating isn't possible, sharing this story with someone who may understand this journey can help too. Thank you for taking the time to read her story, for respecting her privacy, and for helping a mom and her little girl hold onto this possibility. ❤️