PCOS and pregnancy loss deal devastating blow to couple trying to build a family
At 19 years old, Tia was told she had PCOS. Polycystic ovarian syndrome, now called polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS, is a complex condition affecting women that is rooted in insulin resistance. It is one of the most common endocrine disorders worldwide, affecting hormones, metabolism, fertility, heart health and mental well-being. But, at the tender age of 19, Tia had no idea just how much of an impact this diagnosis would have on her life.
Fast forward over a decade and a half, and Tia is still struggling with her diagnosis. Since she married Taylor four years ago and started trying for a family, the Crowley, Louisiana, couple quickly learned that PCOS and infertility has rewritten their future family plans. Instead of decorating a nursery and creating memories with their children, they have spent these years navigating appointments, procedures, medications, heartbreak, and uncertainty. All while holding onto hope that one day it will be their turn.
Second trimester pregnancy loss
Since their marriage, Tia and Taylor have done five intrauterine insemination cycles. Two cycles were unsuccessful, one was canceled due to an over-response, one resulted in a biochemical pregnancy. One, however, resulted in the pregnancy of twins, which Tia carried until in her second trimester she lost one twin and then 2 weeks later at around 5 months gestation, the other twin. “Those five short months with our girls Oaklynn and Eleanor changed our lives forever,” says Tia.
Losing the twins was a devastating experience for the couple. “We believed we had finally reached our miracle,” says Tia. “We imagined bringing them home, watching them grow, celebrating birthdays, creating family traditions, and experiencing all of the moments parents dream about. In an instant, those dreams were taken away.” While their daughters were only with them for a short time, they filled Tia and Taylor’s hearts with love and joy. Their lives confirmed what they felt all along – that they were meant to be parents.
“Infertility has affected every aspect of our lives,” says the couple. “Emotionally, it has been a constant cycle of hope and heartbreak, an endless roller coaster going full speed.” Financially, infertility has hit them just as hard. As hard-working middle-class individuals, a teacher and credentialing analyst, they are saving every dollar possible to continue treatment. “Every cycle requires us to invest everything we can while praying that this will finally be the one that changes our lives.”
In vitro fertilization is their next step toward possible parenthood
After five IUI cycles with increasingly unpredictable responses, Tia’s physician, Dr. John Storment at Fertility Answers in Lafayette, advised her that in vitro fertilization would provide a more controlled treatment approach. With IVF, follicular development can be carefully managed to reduce the risks of either over- or under-stimulating the ovaries. This can lead to more mature follicles and better chances of creating embryos.
But affording IVF is a whole new challenge for the couple. Upon learning that IVF was their next treatment step, they were deeply concerned about how they were going to afford it without putting themselves in a financial hole. “There is overwhelming stress of wondering how we can afford this next step,” says the couple. “But becoming parents means everything to us. We feel IVF is our last hope to become a family.”
They learned about the Gift of Hope during one of their visits to Fertility Answers. “Winning this grant would provide more than financial assistance,” they say. “It would provide an opportunity to continue fighting for our dream and to honor the children we have lost.”
Tia and Taylor learned they were receiving the Gift of Hope IVF Grant 2026 on the same day as Taylor’s birthday. “We know it was a sign from our girls in heaven, sending a birthday present to him.
