Fertility Answers - Helping Build Families

Gift of Hope 2015 – Jamie & Shedran

Ectopic pregnancies and recurrent loss become roadblocks for couple wanting a child

Geismer, LA, couple wins Gift of Hope IVF Grant 2015. 

Jamie & Shedran - Gift of Hope IVF Grant recipients
Jamie & Shedran – Gift of Hope IVF Grant recipients

“If you don’t cry, I won’t cry,” is the voice Jamie Reese hears over and over again as she remembers the recurring pregnancy losses she has endured over the last seven years. It is the voice of her husband, Shedran, as he has tried to console Jamie and himself after each pregnancy came to an end. She also hears her own father’s voice telling her “If you’re going to pray about it, don’t worry about it,” encouraging her to be strong and keep her faith in God. She knows she can always count on these two strong men to uplift and comfort her after each new setback.

Jamie and Shedran Reese of Geismar, LA, both come from big, close-knit families and knew they also wanted a large family of their own. With multiple siblings each, they have helped raise twenty nieces and nephews, showering them with love and encouragement as they grew. But the longing for their own completeness as a family weighed heavily on them as they tried to conceive and keep a pregnancy through the years.

Back in 2009, Jamie, a pharmacy technician and Shedran, a mechanical supervisor, were overjoyed to learn they were pregnant. But before they had a chance to share the news, she was rushed to the hospital as she had her first miscarriage. It was a devastating blow to the young couple who sought out family and God to help them heal. Eventually, through faith, prayer, and family support, their hearts were renewed. They married soon afterwards and were over the moon with joy to find out they were newlyweds and expecting again!

Unfortunately, this joy did not last long. Jamie had an ectopic pregnancy which cannot lead to a live birth as it eventually ruptures the fallopian tube and causes internal bleeding. After only a month as husband and wife, depression hit them again. They had now lost two children before they had a chance to meet them and to be their parents. For Jamie and Shedran, it was a daily battle to stay strong.

Each day before they left for work, they promised each other not to cry.

They decided to take a break and enjoy their life as a married couple for a while and then they decided to try again. Their doctor gave them the green light and a month later they were pregnant again. As each week passed they became more and more excited that it was actually happening, the family they had always dreamed of was about to come true. Ultrasound day arrived and they were excited to see their baby for the first time.

Then, everything was happening all over again, another ectopic pregnancy. And just as quickly as they had another chance, it was taken away, their hearts broken all over again. As the doctor left the room to give them a moment, Shedran turned to Jamie and said, “If you don’t cry, I won’t cry,” but her tears came flooding out and as hard as he tried to keep it together, she could feel his tears falling as hard as her own as he was holding her.

Devastated after losing their third child, Jamie underwent diagnostic surgery and HSG testing to determine what was preventing her from having normal pregnancies. The results revealed that her left tube was filled with fluid and enlarged and her right tube was blocked. Her doctor recommended a fertility specialist and she and Shedran made an appointment with Dr. John Storment at Fertility Answers. At the consultation visit, he informed the couple that their best chance of a successful pregnancy would be in vitro fertilization, a procedure they knew was expensive and well beyond their reach.

Through further research, prayer and guidance, Jamie and Shedran heard about the Gift of Hope and they were filled with hope once more knowing there was an organization out there willing to help couples struggling financially with the burden of infertility. Hope that one day they might finally become parents.

Shedran Jr., born July 2016
Shedran Jr., born July 2016

Shedran Jr. was born in July 2016.

The Gift of Hope is offered once a year in the spring with applications typically available to download from our website beginning in March of each year. For questions about the Gift of Hope, please email to giftofhope@fertilityanswers.com