A 24-year-old who desperately wants children is crowdfunding for a third cycle of IVF, after doctors told her she is heading towards an early menopause.
Emma Kershaw, from Gold Coast, Queensland is hoping to raise $10,000 (approx £5,790) on GoFundMe.com so that she can have a child.
She has already had two cycles of IVF, amounting to $20,000AUD (roughly £11,500), which she paid for on credit cards.
Kershaw explained that she has a very low AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) level for a woman of her age, which means she will experience menopause in her thirties.
“This came as a massive shock as no one in my family has gone through menopause before the age of 50,” she said.
Because she is single, doctors said freezing her eggs would be her best option - but now she needs the help of the public to fund another round of expensive treatment.
According to Professor Geeta Nargund from Create Fertility, AMH is a hormone which is given off by developing follicles (egg sacs containing immature eggs).
The hormone level is an indicator of the state of ovarian reserve and how many eggs are left in the ovaries, which can help determine whether and how urgently treatment is needed, and also how a woman may respond to treatment.
AMH naturally decreases with age as the ovarian reserve is depleted. Women in their forties frequently have low AMH results.
Due to the fact she has low levels of the hormone at 24 years old, Kershaw underwent two cycles of IVF in 2015. During the first round, seven of her eggs were taken and frozen, but in the second round doctors were only able to take two.
“In total, I now have nine mature eggs frozen however it’s recommended that you freeze 10 eggs for a chance of having one baby,” she explained on her GoFundMe page.
“I would really love the chance to have at least one baby therefore I have decided to do another cycle, in [the] hope that I can freeze a few more eggs.”
She said that because she paid for the first two cycles on credit cards, she is unable to borrow any more money. As such, she has issued a desperate plea to the public to help fund a third cycle.
“I know I’m asking for a lot but it’s my dream to have a family of my own,” she added.
So far she has raised $2,700 of her $10,000 goal.
“I am aware that there is no guarantee of this all working out but at least I know I tried my best to prepare for a family and that I gave myself a chance,” she concluded.
“Thank you so much for your generosity and support.”
Kelsea Little, spokesperson for GoFundMe.com, said: “We wish Emma all the best in her dream of growing her family.”
10 Things You May Not Know About Your Fertility
(01 of10)
Open Image Modal1. Your fertility is mostly determined by genetics, which influences how many eggs you are born with. Doctors believe that the number of eggs you have at birth determines the length of time you will remain fertile. At birth, women have about two million eggs in their ovaries. For every egg ovulated during your reproductive life, about 1,000 eggs undergo programmed cell death. Other things, such as smoking cigarettes and certain types of chemotherapy, can accelerate egg cell death and promote an earlier menopause.
(02 of10)
Open Image Modal2. Regular menstrual cycles are a sign of regular ovulation.Most women have regular cycles lasting between 24 and 35 days. This is usually a sign of regular, predictable ovulation. Women who do not ovulate regularly have irregular menstrual cycles. Those who do not ovulate at all may have a genetic condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
(03 of10)
Open Image Modal3. Basal temperature charting does not predict ovulation.An older method of tracking ovulation involves taking your oral body temperature each morning before getting out of bed. This is called basal body temperature. This method is used to spot a rise in basal temperature, which is a sign that progesterone is being produced. The main problem with using this method is that your temperature rises after ovulation has already occurred. This makes it more difficult to time intercourse at an optimal time for conception. A better method is to use over-the-counter urine ovulation predictor test kits such as Clearblue Easy. These kits test for the hormone that prompts ovulation, which is called luteinizing hormone (LH).
(04 of10)
Open Image Modal4. Most women with blocked fallopian tubes are completely unaware they may have had a prior pelvic infection.About 10 percent of infertility cases are due to tubal disease, either complete blockage or pelvic scarring causing tubal malfunction. One major cause of tubal disease is a prior pelvic infection from a sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia. These infections can cause so few symptoms that you may be completely unaware your tubes are affected. This is why fertility physicians will order a dye test of the tubes, called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG), if you have been trying and failing to conceive for 6 months or longer.
(05 of10)
Open Image Modal5. In most cases, stress does not cause infertility. Except in rare cases of extreme physical or emotional distress, women will keep ovulating regularly. Conceiving while on vacation is likely less about relaxation than about coincidence and good timing of sex.
(06 of10)
Open Image Modal6. By age 44, most women are infertile, even if they are still ovulating regularly. Even with significant fertility treatment, rates of conception are very low after age 43. Most women who conceive in their mid-40s with fertility treatment are using donated eggs from younger women.
(07 of10)
Open Image Modal7. Having fathered a pregnancy in the past does not guarantee fertility. Sperm counts can change quite a bit with time, so never assume that a prior pregnancy guarantees fertile sperm. Obtaining a semen analysis is the only way to be sure the sperm are still healthy!
(08 of10)
Open Image Modal8. For the most part, diet has little or nothing to do with fertility. Despite popular press, there is little scientific data showing that a particular diet or food promotes fertility. One limited study did suggest a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, fish and legumes may help promote fertility.
(09 of10)
Open Image Modal9. Vitamin D may improve results of fertility treatments. A recent study from the University of Southern California suggested that women who were undergoing fertility treatments, but had low vitamin D levels, might have lower rates of conception. This vitamin is also essential during pregnancy. At Pacific Fertility Center, we recommend our patients take 2,000-4,000 IU per day.
(10 of10)
Open Image Modal10. Being either underweight or overweight is clearly linked with lowered levels of fertility. The evidence in recent years is that obesity is clearly linked with a longer time to conception. Having a body mass index less than 18 or over 32 is associated with problems ovulating and conceiving, as well as problems during pregnancy.