The Price for Life

THE PRICE

FOR LIFE

With no support from the provincial government, Albertans struggle to fund IVF

FIND OUT MORE

Anchor 1

LINDSAY + JUSTIN

KIMBERLEY

MEGAN + CURTIS

TANYA + TERRY

IVF IN ALBERTA

For many people wishing to start a family, pregnancy is often a natural step in life. However, one in six Canadian couples struggle with infertility, a number that has doubled since the 1980s, according to Fertility Matters Canada.

WHAT IS IVF?

Infertility – the inability to conceive children biologically – can be both a male and female concern. For those affected, medically assisted reproduction through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) can cost up to $12,000 per cycle, a procedure that receives no funding from the government of Alberta.

Coverage for IVF varies among provinces, but with no financial assistance from the provincial government, people in Alberta wishing to undergo IVF are forced to foot the hefty bill alone – with only a 45 per cent chance of success. This number can decrease considerably as egg quality and quantity diminishes over time.

IVF works by medically extracting an egg from a female and combining it in a petri dish with sperm retrieved from a male. If fertilization is successful, the resulting embryo is then transferred into the woman’s uterus. While typically used as a treatment for infertility, IVF is also a popular choice for individuals wishing to become single parents, as well as same-sex couples wanting to start a family.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, IVF begins by encouraging egg production through the use of fertility medications. After roughly a month of this preparatory medication, the eggs can be retrieved. This process uses a hollow needle inserted through the pelvic cavity to extract the eggs. This egg is then combined with a sample of sperm, given by the male partner (or donated) in a petri dish or test tube. Embryos are closely monitored in the lab to ensure division is happening correctly. Should fertilization be successful, embryos can be transferred to the woman’s uterus following a three to five day period. It is then an 18 day wait to see if pregnancy is successful.

According to Fertility Matters, 45 per cent of IVF cycles are successful per fresh embryo transfer. However, above the age of 35, this success rate begins to decrease. At ages 35-39, 37 per cent are successful, and even fewer at age 40 and above, with only 21 per cent of cycles ending with a pregnancy.

In Canada, an IVF procedure will cost between $7000 to $12,000. This only accounts for a single cycle of IVF. If the first round is unsuccessful, or the couple wish to have more children, the cost will continue to rise.

HELP ELSEWHERE

Some Canadian provinces do offer partial funding towards IVF treatments, however. For those living in provinces with no funding, understandably, this can feel extremely frustrating and disheartening.

In Quebec, a citizen living within the province at the end of the tax year may claim up to $20,000 in a refundable tax. This credit amount depends on family income and specific circumstance. This applies to uninsured IVF treatments and only when a single embryo is transferred, with the exception of woman over the age of 37, where two transferred embryos will be covered, according to a representative from Revenu Quebec.

The cost of one IVF cycle per patient is covered in Ontario. Again, the patient’s income and situation is taken into consideration, but the province will cover between $2,500 to $11,000 of this cycle. According to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in Ontario, 6,500 people have been able to seek this funding since it was started in Dec. 2015.

A Special Assistance Fund for infertility treatments if offered in New Brunswick. Service New Brunswick states that patients can qualify for a grant of up to $5,000 if they have been diagnosed with fertility issues and are a full-time resident of New Brunswick.

Manitoba also offers a Fertility Treatment Tax Credit of up to 40 per cent of the fertility treatments received within the province. While the number of treatments a patient can claim is unlimited, the maximum annual claim is $20,000, for a total annual tax credit of $8,000, according to the government of Manitoba. The treatment must be done within the province and claimed by a resident of Manitoba.

THE PROBLEM IN ALBERTA

With no funding from the provincial government, the price of IVF can be a major hindrance to Albertans wishing to expand their family.

According to Alberta Health, some infertility services are funded, such as diagnostic tests, semen analysis, controlled ovarian stimulation for improving fertility and endocrinology. However, this does not include any IVF treatments.

In a statement, Alberta Health Services said: “While we currently do not provide coverage for IVF treatments, this is something that our government may consider as the economy recovers. However, at this time, we’re focused on ensuring that we’re improving the delivery of our publicly insured services while working to reduce wait times.”

Not only is the financial aspect of IVF a huge obstacle for Albertans wishing to pursue a family this way, but it adds an unmeasurable amount of emotional strain. Uncertainty, tears and faith; a journey through IVF is a bumpy road to either joy or heartbreak.

In addition, coverage for IVF varies between provinces, but in Alberta, the government offers no funding. A 2014 study by the University of Alberta suggested provincial funding could reduce financial strain on the healthcare system, saving around $100 million a year.

The question arises: is pregnancy a right or a privilege?

This project delves into the personal journeys of four couples who have undergone IVF treatments – both traditional and alternative – in Alberta. Read on to hear their stories.

LINDSAY

PERSONAL JOURNEYS

SIX YEARS, GENEROSITY AND UNFAILING HOPE

Lindsay Marr

By Polly Eason

Lindsay Marr and her husband Justin. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Marr.

EMERGENCY SURGERY

In August 2011, Lindsay Marr found out she was pregnant. A week later, she was rushed into surgery.

She and her husband Justin learnt that she had had an ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy that has implanted and developed outside of the uterus, usually on a fallopian tube. Lindsay’s tube had ruptured as a result but was fortunately saved when the surgeon was able to stitch it up.

However, the couple struggled to get pregnant again.

“[They] told us to continue trying and that we’d become pregnant no problem and that didn’t happen,” Lindsay says.

Desperate for children, they spent the next six years attempting pregnancies. After two failed IUI’s, or Intrauterine Insemination, where a catheter is used to place sperm inside the woman’s uterus in hopes of fertilization, they knew they needed to try something new. They considered adoption, but the couple decided they weren’t quite ready for this step. Speaking with doctors, the Marrs knew that in order to have a biological child, they needed to begin a journey with IVF.

FINANCIAL WOES

For many couples, IVF brings huge financial issues. The average Canadian couple spends between $7,750 - $12,250 on a single IVF procedure. With the cost of fertility drugs, egg retrieval, egg freezing and the procedure itself, the price begins to add up. Lindsay and Justin needed $13,500 for their first round of IVF.

Lindsay talks about the difficult decision to choose IVF. Video by Polly Eason.

With no funding available from the Alberta government to assist IVF cycles, the couple needed to think of a way to pay for this costly procedure.

A HELPING HAND

Lindsay's mother and sister-in-law decided to try creating a Go Fund Me account in hopes that generous friends and family members would help the couple begin their costly journey. The couple were astounded by the generosity they received, with nearly $11,000 raised.

Lindsay shares her mother's revolutionary idea for funding the procedure. Video by Polly Eason.

Lindsay and Justin Marr raised $10,510 through Go Fund Me with the generous support from friends and family. Photo by Emily Thwaites.

With all this help from friends and family, Lindsay and Justin were extremely thankful.

"It was very surreal and we were beyond grateful and couldn't thank people enough so we just kept sending as much as we could as thank you and saying it to them and whatever we could [do]."

With the help of these generous donations, the couple moved forward with the IVF procedure.

IVF requires a month long process of the woman self-injecting progesterone three times a day before being able to retrieve her eggs, in order to increase egg production levels. Having a fear of needles, Lindsay struggled but was able to get through this painful month with the help of patient friends and her husband.

“Just knowing what the result would be, knowing that this will only last for this long and so it was actually okay in the end, it didn’t both me as much and I did have help. So very nerve wracking but worth it in the end.”

Following this, Lindsay was now ready for egg retrieval. [The doctor] successfully retrieved 13 eggs, and eight of these survived and fertilized with Justin’s sperm. Extremely grateful with eight embryos, the couple froze seven and had one transfered into Lindsay’s uterus. For Lindsay and Justin, freezing their embryos is costing approximately $1,000 a year.

THE WAITING GAME

For 18 days after the transfer, the couple had to wait before going in for bloodwork to see if the embryo had implanted and Lindsay was pregnant.

Lindsay recounts this time as the hardest part of the process.

"I'm relatively an impatient person on occasion, so I even had family buy me the tests that were digital... I actually had tests given to me [before] 18 days, which I did. I did also get the call back after the 18 days for the blood test."

Every test Lindsay took during this 18 day period came out positive.

“It was over exciting but at the same time it was like okay, you just have to wait for the 18th day, you want to make sure these aren’t just false positives. I had a very hopeful thought in my mind like, you know what, I bet it worked. I was overjoyed but really hard to hold it in and not tell people.”

On Dec. 14, 2017, their six year journey paid off with the birth of their son, Brae.

Brae's first Christmas, Dec. 2017. Photo by Kayla Rockey Photography, courtesy of Lindsay Marr.

Lindsay recounts the emotional experience of Brae's birth. Video by Polly Eason.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT?

With a successful IVF, financial and emotional support from friends and family and now a family of three, Lindsay believes the government should be doing more to help people going through this process.

Lindsay shares her disappointment that there is no government support for IVF funding in Alberta. Video by Polly Eason.

A happy family of three: Justin and Lindsay Marr were thrilled with the birth of their son Brae, on Dec. 14 2017. Photo courtesy of Lindsay Marr.

MEGAN

FIGHTING INFERTILITY: THE STRUGGLE TO START A FAMILY

Megan Loydl

By Emily Thwaites and Polly Eason

Megan Loydl and her husband Curtis on their wedding day in 2016. Photo courtesy of Megan Loydl.

UNEXPLAINED PAIN

Megan Loydl experienced excruciating pain when her first period began at 15. However, doctors brushed off the monthly trauma as being a normal part of womanhood.

“I didn’t go to school. I laid on bathroom floors crying. I was in so much pain.”

It took thirteen years for Megan to receive the diagnosis of endometriosis. She was 28 when she was admitted to hospital with a ruptured cyst.

Endometriosis is a disorder where endometrial tissues – that line the uterus – grow outside of the uterine cavity, around the surrounding organs, ovaries and fallopian tubes. For Megan, this meant continued pain throughout her monthly cycle and made intercourse painful.

Megan and her husband Curtis decided to have children, but found conceiving naturally was difficult. They began to explore other options.

According to Fertility Matters, it was found that after age 35, the success rates drop rapidly to 37 per cent between ages 35-37 and 21 per cent for ages 41-42.

After multiple failures and complications – and with the clock ticking – her journey has been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster.

“Knowing egg quality drops after [age] 35 makes it feel like time is against us. [We] feel pressured to make the right choices,” says Megan, now 32.

FERTILITY TREATMENTS BEGIN

The couple started by trying Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) at a clinic in Saskatoon at the beginning of 2016. This fertility treatment involves using a catheter to place prepared sperm inside the woman’s uterus to encourage fertilization. At approximately $500, this method is considerably cheaper than traditional IVF, which totals between $7,000 to $12,000 per cycle.

However, their attempt at IUI was unsuccessful. On a time crunch, the couple decided to try an alternate method in 2017, one still cheaper than traditional IVF.

After online research and conversations with clinics across North America, they came across Effortless IVF, a fertility clinic in Calgary, Alta. This clinic uses a method known as INVOcell, a patented capsule-like device used to incubate the eggs and sperm inside the vagina. The temperature, pH, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels here offer a natural incubator, saving thousands of dollars in lab fees.

Megan holds her INVOcell between her thumb and forefinger. Photo courtesy of Megan Loydl.

This capsule stays positioned below the cervix for five days before being removed, examined for fertilization – and, if this has occurred – being placed inside the woman’s uterus. According to VIOS Fertility Institute in Missouri, this method is four times more successful than IUI and 40 per cent cheaper than traditional IVF.

In preparation for this procedure, Megan had to undergo extensive testing including blood work and ultrasounds to ensure she had a good follicle count and no cysts were present.

After taking out a $6,000 medical loan and using $1,000 of their savings, the couple travelled from their home in Lloydminster, Sask., to Calgary in October, 2017 to begin their INVOcell journey.

Megan had to self inject hormones every day to stimulate egg production prior to egg retrieval. Photo courtesy of Megan Loydl.

On the first day, another ultrasound was performed to test the egg size. After confirming Megan’s eggs were ready, she was given an egg retrieval date.

RETRIEVAL DAY

When the day arrived, Curtis gave his sperm sample, which was placed in a petri dish to await her eggs.

Megan recalls the retrieval process being extremely painful and uncomfortable.

After Megan’s eggs had been retrieved, the embryologist combined them in the petri dish with her husband’s sperm and placed them into the INVOcell capsule, which was then inserted into her uterus. A diaphragm was positioned below the INVOcell to hold it in place.

Sent to the recovery room, Megan reunited with her husband, who was not allowed to be present during the procedure.

The next morning, she awoke in excruciating pain.

“I was in worse pain then I was the day before, the day of retrieval ... I phoned in that morning cause I couldn’t even sit, I couldn’t stand. The INVOcell hadn’t positioned itself in an uncomfortable spot so it was actually pushing against my endometriosis, so I was just in total pain.”

After five days of waiting and taking over-the-counter pain medication, Megan returned to the clinic to discover whether any eggs successfully fertilized. After removing the INVOcell, her eggs were graded by the endometroiologist. Here, each egg was assessed to determine its quality and potential; however, the grading system is subjective and the grades do not represent what is happening inside the embryo genetically. Of six eggs, two did not fertilize, two stopped growing at Day 3 and two made it to Day 5. Both were transferred into Megan’s uterus in hopes of her becoming pregnant.

RESULT DAY

Megan went for a blood test two weeks later to see if one or both embryos had successfully implanted. After thousands of dollars, countless medical procedures and months of physical and emotional pain, sadly, she was not pregnant.

MOVING FORWARD

After this painful, disheartening experience and still not pregnant, Megan and Curtis are now looking towards traditional IVF. But first, Megan must undergo surgery to remove her endometriosis with the intention of increasing the chance of a successful conception.

With a six month wait post surgery, the couple are still determined to try getting pregnant on their own. If unsuccessful, they will then turn to traditional IVF, which will cost another $13,000 to $15,000.

The couple are hopeful for Megan’s surgery this summer and are determined to do whatever it takes to start their family.

Choosing INVOcell - Megan Loydl

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A painful egg retrieval - Megan Loydl

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Exploring other options - Megan Loydl

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Surgery first - Megan Loydl

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KIMBERLEY

HIGH RISKS, HIGHER HOPES

Kimberley Ford

By Emily Thwaites

With countless medical complexities, Kimberley's IVF journey was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster. Photo courtesy of Rafal Weigel, supplied by Kimberley Ford.

SHOCKING NEWS

At 28 years old, Kimberley Ford received news from doctors she never expected to hear. Her body was in a state of menopause.

“I had no hormones left in my body. My brain wasn’t telling my ovaries to make hormones to get the eggs going. So that was kind of a shock. It was like my body was 50-years-old, trying to have a baby.”

Kimberley and her husband knew they wanted four children. After discovering Kimberley’s infertility in 2011, they realized IVF was their only option.

An expensive procedure, IVF typically costs anywhere between $7,000 to $12,000 per cycle in Canada. It was an easy decision for Kimberley, but her husband was initially hesitant.

Kimberley shares their decision to move forward with IVF. Video by Emily Thwaites.

PAPER PLATES AND A MATTRESS ON THE FLOOR

Despite having stable jobs – Kimberley as a nurse and her husband in law enforcement – the couple still felt the huge financial strain that IVF brings.

“We basically sold our bed frame, we slept on a mattress on the floor. Sold our computer, I sold jewelry, our couches, dishes. I sold anything in my house that could have been some sort of profit and so that we could still live normally with paper plates or whatever it was. We did what we had to make ends meet for that.”

With IVF, women often have multiple embryo transfers instead of single ones, in efforts to increase their chances of pregnancy. The problem is this can lead to difficult pregnancies and premature births, increasing costs for the healthcare system.

Coverage for IVF varies between provinces, but in Alberta, the government offers no funding. A 2014 study by the University of Alberta suggested provincial funding could reduce financial strain on the healthcare system, saving around $100 million a year.

After saving enough money, the couple decided to begin their IVF journey at the Regional Fertility Program in Calgary.

“We’d heard such great things about the clinic here and I’d [heard] so many testimonies from friends that have gone through it. Looking at the success rates, it just made sense. It was 40 per cent,” says Kimberley.

She remembers the cycle costing $7,500, plus additional expenses including a $300 registration fee, testing and $6,000 in medication.

“I had an ultrasound done to see how many egg follicles I had as well before we got started. A normal woman about 28 has about 20 follicles on each side, and I only had three on my right side left.”

DIVISION PROBLEMS

With very few eggs, Kimberley needed overstimulation of hormones to ensure she was producing more eggs.

Kimberley talks about her chances of success being less than 20 per cent. Video by Emily Thwaites.

With hope dwindling, further complications on Day 3 resulted in emergency surgery on the remaining two eggs.

Their lining was too thick and needed laser-assisted hatching to increase the chances of implantation into the uterus. Desperate for a child, the couple went through with the procedure.

Kimberley's two embryos on Day 3, following the assisted hatching fragmentation surgery. Photo courtesy of Kimberley Ford.

A home pregnancy test on Day 7 changed the couple’s life forever. Kimberley was finally pregnant.

“I was through the moon that day! And that was it and it just kept getting better and better.”

Results from Kimberley’s blood test predicted the couple would be expecting twins; the couple were overjoyed.

ONGOING COMPLICATIONS

At 7 weeks, Kimberley started to experience bleeding and sadly, miscarried one of the embryos. Things became progressively worse at 13 weeks.

Kimberley shares her complications that arose by Week 13. Video by Emily Thwaites.

Kimberley went through with the spinal tap surgery, but too much fluid was extracted, resulting in what’s known as a spinal headache. Transferred to Rockyview General Hospital, Kimberley was put on bedrest until 22 weeks pregnant.

“I was on a hard amount of medication. Hydromorphone through and IV PCA [Intravenous Patient Controlled Analgesia] and giving myself so much narcotic. I just laid in a dark room with the bed tilted and just giving myself pain medication, so that was scary.”

It seemed Kimberley couldn’t catch a break. At 31 weeks, she began to experience cramping pain and remembers her stomach turning rock hard.

“I went to the hospital and they did a scan and said that I was having an abruption, so the placenta was tearing away from the uterus.”

The doctors discussed emergency c-section to deliver Kimberly’s baby but Kimberly was able to have a vaginal birth. After an epidural that was unable to ease her pain, the doctor checked her progress. She was fully dilated and ready to push.

FALLING IN LOVE

Overjoyed, the couple held their son, Jase, for the first time.

Kimberley shares the joy of meeting her son for the first time. Video by Emily Thwaites.

“He’s kind of our miracle baby. He was given little to no shot from the very beginning and he definitely is a fighter and rambunctious, so that makes sense now that he was the one that stuck on,” says Kimberley.

Jase, just a few hours old. Photo courtesy of Kimberley Ford.

GIVING BACK

After her painful and emotional IVF journey, Kimberley is a huge advocate for IVF and talks openly about miscarriage and infertility.

She is now an active committee member for Images of Hope, an annual fundraising event run by Generations of Hope. Started in 2005 as an initiative of the Regional Fertility Program in Calgary, this charity helps provide financial assistance for those struggling to afford IVF.

Each year at Images of Hope, a fresh and frozen IVF cycle are put up for auction. After a $6,300 bid in 2017, Kimberley and her husband were shocked to discover they had won a cycle. Their dream of further expanding their family was now a possibility.

ONE MORE SHOT

After a promising start to her second cycle of IVF, Kimberley discovered her pregnancy was ectopic. Here, the embryo implants outside of the uterus, most typically in a fallopian tube.

“They took my tube and the pregnancy that was still attached to it. That was probably the hardest point of the IVF journey this far because we knew that if it had implanted in the right place, we would have another baby.”

A third miscarriage in October 2017 led Kimberley and her husband to begin exploring other ways to build their family.

Kimberley talks about their options moving forward to complete their family. Video by Emily Thwaites.

Jase, now 5, and Kimberley love goofing around together. Photo courtesy of Kimberley Ford.

Having friends who have relocated to other provinces in hope of receiving financial assistance for IVF, Kimberley believes the Alberta government should be stepping up to help individuals and couples wanting to go through with IVF.

“[It’s] just mind blowing to me that you should have to relocate because your government doesn't support something. It doesn’t make sense. As a nurse, as a mother, as a human being, a someone who’s gone through this, none of it makes sense to me.”

For anyone exploring the possibility of IVF, or already on their IVF journey, Kimberley says having support is critical.

Kimberley shares the pain of trying to start a family through such an expensive procedure. Video by Emily Thwaites.

*Authors' note: For professional reasons, Kimberley's husband was unable to be named or pictured. He played a supportive role in the IVF process and was overjoyed at the birth of their son.

TANYA + TERRY

HEARTACHE, HOPE AND A SINGLE EGG

Tanya and Terry Driscoll

By Emily Thwaites and Polly Eason

Tanya Driscoll and her husband Terry have been trying to start a family since 2008. Photo courtesy of Tanya Driscoll.

WASTED TIME

Ten years ago, Tanya and Terry Driscoll decided they were ready to start their family. After a year of trying, they realized something was wrong.

Diagnosed with unexplained infertility by the Regional Fertility Program, a doctor concluded Tanya’s weight was to blame.

Following a weight-loss surgery, Tanya was referred back to the Regional Fertility Program in 2011. Further testing revealed she had low ovarian reserve – a deteriorating quality and quantity of eggs – something that had existed all along.

“Unfortunately with low ovarian reserve it’s not something that gets better over time, it gets worse over time. So there was definitely a lot of frustration… we felt like there was a lot of time wasted,” says Tanya.

In spring of 2015, the couple began by trying Superovulation Intrauterine Insemination (SO/IUI). This process aims to ovulate two to four mature eggs, by first stimulating egg production through a hormone injection. Sperm is then injected into the woman’s uterus via a catheter to facilitate insemination. Unfortunately, Tanya and Terry’s attempt was unsuccessful.

A NEW HOPE

With a strong desire to have children, the couple decided it was time to try a different method. Through research, they came across Effortless IVF, a clinic in Calgary specialized in non-traditional IVF treatment – at a much lower cost.

“We could get two rounds done at the price of one,” says Terry.

Effortless IVF uses INVOcell, a patented capsule-like device used to incubate the eggs and sperm inside the vagina. The temperature, pH, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels here offer a natural incubator, saving thousands of dollars in lab fees.

“We did a phone consult with one of the founding doctors and he felt we’d be good candidates. So we kind of bit the bullet and went all in,” says Tanya.

In Aug. 2017, the couple began their INVOcell journey – a protocol that has only been offered in Alberta since February 2017, when Effortless IVF first opened its doors in Calgary. Effortless IVF is currently the only clinic in Alberta offering this service.

The first step of INVOcell involved Tanya self-injecting hormones twice daily for an 18-day period, in attempt to stimulate ovulation.

“I don’t know how to tell someone to prepare to inject themselves twice a day for 18 days, or however long it ends up. The first time I ever did injections was with my superovulation IUI and I ugly cried the first day I had to do injections,” says Tanya.

However, Tanya didn’t respond to the injections the way the doctors hoped. She ended up with a serious bleed, called a bleed through. In addition, the low dose protocol meant Tanya ended up with just a single follicle.

Five days prior to the egg retrieval, more complications arose for Tanya.

“The clinic had trouble finding my ovaries, so I had to do all sorts of things. I had to take laxatives. And they kept saying, we can’t see it, we can’t find it. And I’m like what are you talking about? I would be asked the most intrusive questions like ‘Did you have a good poop today?’ and I was like poop doesn’t have to do with my ovaries! I don’t get it!”

A ROLLERCOASTER RETRIEVAL

Retrieval day was an overwhelming mix of emotions for Tanya and Terry.

Again, the doctors struggled to find her ovaries.

“At one point they couldn’t find my ovaries and they couldn’t find a single follicle. It sounded like the doctors were about to throw the towel in and say ‘we’re sorry, it was unsuccessful’,” says Tanya.

Tanya and Terry share the rollercoaster of emotions experienced during retrieval day. Video by Emily Thwaites.

Finding out Tanya had just one egg was both miraculous and terrifying for the couple. They realized this may be their one hope at having a biological child together. The egg and sperm were both placed inside the INVOcell which was inserted just below Tanya's cervix.

It was now time for a five-day wait.

“You spend five days wondering because with traditional IVF, you get an update every day, so you know how your embryos are doing… but with INVOcell, you have no idea,” Tanya says.

This five-day wait ended with exciting news: they had a successful embryo.

After fertilization, Tanya’s body was not yet able to undergo a fresh embryo transfer. Instead, the couple decided to have the embryo frozen until she was physically ready for the procedure.

This time came in Jan. 2018 when the now frozen embryo was transferred into Tanya's uterus. The couple had to yet again wait to see if a pregnancy had resulted.

However, the news wasn't good. After waiting around three weeks, they found out that Tanya was not pregnant.

MONEY MATTERS

Still desperate for a family and having spent close to $25,000 already, Tanya and Terry wish that the provincial government would step up.

Tanya and Terry share the difficulty of not receiving government support in the province of Alberta. Video by Emily Thwaites.

With no financial help from the Alberta government, Tanya and Terry began to feel marginalized for their inability to have a child biologically.

“When you don’t have that money, you’re willing to take whatever risk is necessary. It’s hard to sort of fathom that somebody could sit there and tell me that I’m not, we’re not worth investing in having a baby, but that’s what it feels like we’re told every day because we have to advocate and come up with it ourselves," says Tanya.

Tanya and Terry are now pursuing a round of traditional IVF as well as adoption, still hoping to add to their family.

Tanya and Terry discuss their family starting in a way they never imagined. Video by Emily Thwaites.