When Lindsay and Brian Vargas got married, they assumed that getting pregnant would take them a few months.
After 13 years, 15 miscarriages, adoption attempts, surrogacy fails and some half a million dollars later, the Nebraska couple told Yahoo Lifestyle that they’re finally getting the baby they hoped for.
The couple said that after a year and a half of trying on their own, they turned to doctors for help. Lindsay, now 35, was given Clomid, which can aid ovulation but, after being prescribed repeatedly, left her with a “softball-sized cyst.” Five years of artificial insemination led to several pregnancies that ended in miscarriages and, in one case, a painful ectopic pregnancy.
Even surrogacy failed them: Lindsay’s sister offered to carry the couple’s baby, but was found to have a tumor on her ovary. Once the tumor was removed, four rounds of artificial insemination didn’t take.
In early October, however, the Vargases adopted a baby girl, after a pregnant woman contacted them through a GoFundMe site they’d set up to fund their surrogacy attempts. The duo also learned that Lindsay’s sister, Kelly, is pregnant with Lindsay’s last remaining embryos — and is expecting twins.
Lindsay says she wants to help other struggling couples feel less shame about their own experiences.
“I get so many messages from women struggling with infertility — why is the topic so shameful?” she told the site. “I want to turn this into something positive for others. We’ve been through hell and back, but it’s worth it.”