An Infertility Marathon
When Mariah and Bryan decided to start their family, little did they know their journey would take them from the challenges of fertility treatment in Nashville to crossing the finish line of the New York City Marathon three years later. Along the way, this inspiring couple created the family and community of their dreams, and generated a huge financial contribution to benefit countless other hopeful parents.
Early on, the couple knew that Mariah could not carry a baby, so they laid out their plan for pregnancy and began the process of finding a gestational carrier. They never anticipated the challenges they would face during their three-year journey to having a baby.
It took nine rounds of IVF, three failed embryo transfers, and a miscarriage suffered by their first gestational carrier, but after finding a second gestational carrier, the couple are now delighted to have welcomed their baby home.
Despite their many struggles, Mariah and Bryan persevered. The encouragement of the staff at Nashville Fertility Center helped them keep going when they wanted to give up. Mariah and Bryan noted the relationship of trust they built with Dr. Abby Eblen and the nursing staff. For them, trust in those relationships and the counsel they received allowed them to continue to trust the process.
Running a marathon
Throughout the years of fertility treatments, Mariah and Bryan considered their journey and sought a way to symbolize and commemorate all that they had experienced. When they became pregnant, the native New Yorkers had the wild idea to run the New York City Marathon.
Running a marathon was, in Mariah’s words, a “reckless” goal, given that neither of them were runners, and they did not consider themselves particularly athletic. But, Mariah and Bryan jumped into training and, over the next several months, fully committed to being ready for the marathon.
Through their infertility journey, the couple had a relationship with RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. It was RESOLVE that secured their spots in the race. Now, they had two goals: to train and be ready for a 26.2-mile race, and to raise awareness and funds for RESOLVE.
Creating an infertility community
As they trained, Mariah and Bryan reached out to friends and colleagues to support them in their race, providing the opportunity to share their story. They found that by telling their story, the couple processed their own experiences, built a community, helped friends experiencing fertility challenges, and gave others the courage to share their own stories.
Their willingness to share and reach out with their story paid dividends beyond their new community. In the end, they raised more than $18,000 for RESOLVE. Far exceeding their personal fundraising goals, they were thrilled to be able to financially support RESOLVE and the valuable work they do.
Crossing the finish line
Mariah and Bryan ran the New York City Marathon on November 5, 2023. It was harder physically and mentally than they expected, but they ran the entire course and crossed the finish line together. It was the perfect metaphor for their fertility journey. It was long and arduous, and they did it together, step-by-step and side-by-side.
They look forward to sharing with their child the story of the marathon and the joy that can come from overcoming adversity.
