CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Couples struggling with infertility can register for a chance to have a baby.
A Cincinnati charity is raffling off IVF treatments. Parental Hope has already helped local couples have the family they dreamed of.
Three-year-old Quincy had to think about which sister is which when Local 12 met them. The beautiful twins, Elliot and Brighton, were born in September. Amanda and Justin Graff are now proud parents of three girls.
“We never thought we would have any kids, and to have three, you just can’t put it into words,” Amanda said.
The Graffs were told they wouldn’t be able to have a baby naturally. They turned to IVF. It took 15 months and cost a lot emotionally and financially to have Quincy.
“Selling stuff, selling some stock, borrowing money, cash against life insurance. All of that together, and then she was paid off when she was 18 months old," said Amanda.
The total cost to have Quincy was close to $30,000. Giving her a sibling didn’t seem possible until they heard about the Cincinnati charity called Parental Hope.
“When we were going through our own infertility treatments, we had health insurance that covered this cost. And in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, 85 to 90 percent of patients dealing with infertility don’t have that health insurance, and so we wanted to give back to this community,” said David Bross.
Local 12 first met David, his wife Jennifer and their twins Logan and Violet in 2016. They had just started Parental Hope. Less than four years later, they’ve helped 36 couples get IVF at no cost. It’s resulted in 14 babies with three more on the way.
When a couple is awarded a Parental Hope grant, they get one round of IVF. That includes the retrieval, transfer and office visits. It doesn’t include medication. The average entire cost for that treatment is upwards of $12,000.
At the charity’s annual Spring for Hope Gala, they raffle off IVF treatments. Couples have to show a financial need and have an infertility diagnosis, plus be in attendance. Bross says it’s an exciting night.
“This past April we were very fortunate to have enough to do five at the event. I think it was a big shock to everybody there,” Bross said.
The Graffs didn’t win that night, but they did fill out an application and months later got word they were selected.
“It worked, and doubly so, so I have 9-week old twins,” Amanda said.
Plus three frozen embryos from that one donated round of IVF. Miracle twins Elliot and Brighton are now part of the Parental Hope family.
Parental Hope partners with the Institute for Reproductive Health for the treatments. Interested couples can sign up online.
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