SpringCreek is determined to share real fertility stories, like this one from the Moores. After an endometriosis diagnosis, three rounds of IUI, IVF, and two frozen embryo transfers, Matthew and Heather were gifted with their children, Blakely and Beckham. They stopped by to share their story with us, recounting their fertility journey to encourage those who may be going through a similar family-building process.
Watch the Moore family’s full interview here:
Tell us your names, please.
Matthew: I’m Matthew Moore.
Heather: This is Blakely Moore, I’m Heather Moore, and this is Beckham Moore.
How did you choose SpringCreek?
H: In 2017, after some difficulties getting pregnant, we decided to seek out a reproductive specialist. At the original place we went to – after some testing and ultrasounds for a few months – we were basically told that I had endometriosis and large cysts on both my ovaries. They basically gave us no hope, really. They said that there weren’t many options for us. Even with the most advanced forms of IVF, we probably wouldn’t be able to get pregnant. So we left there feeling completely broken and shattered. Our dreams just kind of blew up in our faces.
M: It was a tough day.
H: So I had heard from a coworker – who was a surrogate – about Dr. Groll and SpringCreek. As soon as we went there we kind of knew that we were in the right place.
M: I’d also heard from a coworker [who] had gone to SpringCreek and had twins. We both heard separately about Dr. Groll and how fantastic he was. So when we went there that first time, it was just upbeat and positive and full of hope. We left there feeling, for the first time in a while, that it was possible for us to be parents and to have a family. We were hooked from day one.
What kind of treatment did you go through?
H: So we did three rounds of IUI, then we did IVF, and then we did two embryo transfers. We have plans to do another one in the upcoming year.
What did you think of the SpringCreek staff and facilities?
M: The first thing was the attitude and the optimism… the thoroughness. We would talk to Dr. Groll, and you’d have to ask your best question first because he was so detailed in how he responded. Obviously, he knows what he’s doing when it comes to fertility and reproductive health. We felt the hope and the competence, and they knew the science. Knowing how to work around our diagnoses and make us feel good.
H: One thing I loved about SpringCreek was the wall of the handprints and the footprints. That was – I don’t even know how to describe it – just something that gave me hope every time I came in, every time I had an appointment. Even when I had my failed procedures, I just felt that all of these people have been through what we’ve been through. To see the outcome of so many babies being born, I just knew that one day we would be able to do the same. I also loved all of the employees there; they feel like f I just felt like I knew I was going to be a mom after being at SpringCreek; I knew that it was going to be possible for me, whereas I didn’t feel that way at all before I entered those doors. To kind of give us that hope was powerful.
Tell us a bit about your fertility journey.
H: We originally didn’t start on any baseline medication; we went straight to the IUIs. Each time was kind of like an emotional roller coaster. It felt like there was hope hope hope then we would have a failed IUI, then go through a grieving process, what feels like a lost opportunity. But the staff would always make you feel like, you know, there’s something else we can do, it’s not over. So then you would kind of ride that, like, okay, you’re sad but then you try to come back to that feeling of hope. We have another opportunity; another chance. It was a bit of a roller coaster each time.
M: We did all of the procedures pretty quickly. We started the three IUIs in April or May, did those through July, and went right into IVF, in August/September all of the same year. We always had one thing to keep looking forward to and keep working towards. So it was a roller coaster but we weren’t really left in our grief too long. With our first embryo transfer, we transferred two and got [Blakely]. We were fortunate in a way that on our very first transfer, we became parents… and have been loving every minute since.
H: Chaos and all.
Would you change anything about your fertility journey?
M: It’s hard for us to say what we would change given the results of what it’s given us. I think everyone in their life goes through some form of adversity or struggle in something – ours happened to be fertility. It’s just become part of our story. It was hard going through it, and you never want to go through it, but it brought us closer. Not everyone’s struggle or challenge gives them the two most beautiful things in their life. It’s hard to say you’d change anything at all.
H: One thing I wish I would’ve done more of during it was joining a support group. I feel like when you’re going through [the process], it can be so lonely. We have each other, but there are aspects of it that [Matthew] might not understand what I’m going through and vice versa. To have a community to go to would have been very important. It feels like you’re kind of alone in the world. Whenever you want to get pregnant, it feels like everyone else is getting pregnant but you. You see pregnant people everywhere; you see all of these social media pregnancy and birth announcements, and baby shower invitations; you just feel like you’re drowning in what you don’t have.
M: I think after the fact, as we talked more about it, opened up about it, it brought a lot of healing and power to the story. We found out that a lot of people struggle with fertility in one way or another. It helps them, as well. You realize you’re not as lonely as we maybe thought we were in the middle of it.
More stories can be found on the Reviews and Testimonials page.
