The First Steps

December 10, 2008 (my 25th birthday) Mike and I had a meeting with a representative at the University of Utah. We will call her April. We met with her to begin our application for the Miracle Fund. The Miracle Fund is a way for a private donor to donate the money for a couple to go through the IVF (invitro fertilization) process. This donor donated enough to cover the cost for 25 couples in 2008. It was a crazy meeting and I left very emotional. I wanted so bad to get this fund. We had a 12 page application we had to complete, as well as 5 references we had to get and a few medical tests. We finished the application and got all test results in around the beginning of January. Then it was just a wait process. It was excruciating to say the least. I knew the committee that would review the applications only met a few times a year, but I didn't know how long I could wait. Then Friday, March 27, 2009 I got a letter in the mail with this logo on it

I still had to wait another 2 hours or so until Mike got home before I could open it. That was the hardest 2 hours to make it through. I ended up with a really clean house though, because it was the only way I could find to keep my mind occupied while I waited. When Mike got home we opened the letter:

Dear Nicole and Michael Montgomery
Through the generosity of anonymous donors, and after successful completion of a family study by a State licensed social worker, you will be able to be recipients of one cycle of IVF to be completed before the end of March 2010.

Monday I called April back and got the name and number of a social worker who would come to our house and complete a home study. A home study is where a social worker comes to your home, interview you and your spouse, inspect the home, and evaluate you as an individual and a couple. Pretty scary if you ask me. But, the social worker sounded really nice over the phone, and the interview date was set.