It takes a village to raise a baby, and (in our case) it's going to take a village to make one. My husband Denton and I (Kiersten) began our journey to creating our family in 2019 and continued on our own through 2021. We gave ourselves a lot of grace throughout this time, trying to understand what was going wrong, trying to reduce our stress, and praying for a miracle. However, in 2021 we came to the realization that maybe we can't do this on our own and sought the help of doctors. Several tests and four unsuccessful rounds of medicated cycles (Clomid) later we were referred to a fertility clinic. Throughout 2022 we went through more diagnostic testing that did not lead to any answers and we were left with unexplained infertility. We completed eight medicated (Femera/Letrozole) and monitored cycles of IUI (intrauterine insemination). The first cycle resulted in a chemical pregnancy and each cycle after that was unsuccessful in getting us pregnant. Each month that passed added to our grief, frustration, and only added more and more questions; and yet we refuse to give up hope on our fertility journey. Come 2023 and we have decided to give IVF (in vitro fertilization) a try. That's where all our friends, family, and those wanting to help make a difference for someone come into play. We do not have insurance coverage for IFV and will be paying all expenses out of pocket. We are estimating the cost to be between $10,000 - $20,000 between the medication, egg retrieval, and egg transfer procedures. Therefore, we have created this fundraiser to assist with raising the money for our IVF fertility treatment. Denton and I have had a village of tremendous support throughout this journey so far and we are hoping to grow this village as we know we are going to need all of the support to see us through this next part of our journey to parenthood. Here's how the fundraiser works: We have customized a 500 piece puzzle and every piece symbolizes someone who donated to our IFV journey. Each piece is a donation (for example $20 or amount of your choosing). You may choose to be one piece of the puzzle or several pieces of the puzzle, there is no limit! Your name (or message) will be written on the back of each piece that you represent. After the puzzle is completed, we will hang it in a double sided frame in the nursery. This will be a beautiful reminder of our village and a beautiful keepsake that we will cherish forever. We will be able to look back and be reminded of your generosity and investment in our family. We thank you for your support Kiersten and Denton Schellhammer