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Team Maggie's Dream Striper Tournament - 9th Annual

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Melissa, Team Maggie's Dream Grant Recipients:

I never realized how much I wanted kids until the moment I was told it might not be possible. 

“You need to freeze your eggs,” my sister told me on the phone days after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, “Chemo can potentially affect your ability to have kids."

The thoughts in my head went a mile a minute. I was still trying to digest my diagnosis, and now I had another obstacle to overcome before starting treatment.

According to the American Cancer Society, rates of breast cancer are low in women under 40. About 4% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. are younger than 40. Most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime are probably done having kids, if they wanted them.

I was never the person who lived to be a mom. I want kids, but I would consider myself more of a “career woman.”

But the moment when I thought it may never be a possibility changed my whole perspective.

I called the fertility office the next day and made an appointment.

I had 3 weeks before starting chemo. 3 weeks to save whatever fertile eggs my body would make after 15+ years on birth control.

My insurance didn’t cover the cost, but at this point, my mind was made up. There would be no price tag on having peace of mind while going through chemo.

“At least you’ll know afterward that you did everything you could,” my boyfriend, now fiancé, Jordan, said to me.

I paid half of the cost as I waited for the various grants I signed up for. I spent the next few days feverishly filling out paperwork for anything I could find.

Oftentimes, patients don’t have time to wait to come up with the money, and they don’t have time to push off chemo. Between the medications and retrieval, fertility preservation can cost thousands.

Even with the help from grants, the cost of my fertility treatments cost more than all of my medications, procedures, and anything related to my actual breast cancer combined for the year.

Why? My insurance covered most of that, and as you can imagine, I met my out-of-pocket maximum for the year very quickly; three weeks after diagnosis.

My fiancé and I are getting married in March and hope to start a family soon after that. Thanks to Team Maggie’s Dream, and the grant I received during that difficult time, having these eggs gives us peace of mind.

If you are looking for an organization to donate to, I hope you consider Team Maggie’s Dream, and help other young adults like myself.