Creative Ways to Afford Infertility…and Adoption
I came across a great article today titled Baby or Bust: Infertile Couples Turn to the Web to Raise Funds for IVF. The article shares stories about some families who experienced infertility and struggled to afford treatments. Unfortunately, the challenges with affording adoption are just as common. Both infertility treatments and adoption can cost tens of thousands of dollars and the high cost is a real barrier for many families.
What I loved about the article were the creative ways that families came up with to afford their treatments. One family created a blog to share their struggle with infertility. They also asked for – and received – donations. Nearly $6,500 in donations! Another couple held a photo contest and charged entrants $10 apiece. A third family used social networking sites Facebook and Twitter to invite their family and friends to a special wine-tasting fundraiser. Nearly 150 people paid $35 each to attend the event and in combination with a silent auction of items donated by friends, the couple raised more than $8,000.
The article closes with some comments about the ethics of raising money for IVF. To be honest, I did not quite connect with the ideas presented by Hank Greely, a biomedical ethicist at Stanford University. Mr. Greely cautioned that people who donate might have a heightened interest in the pregnancy and child, somehow feeling entitled to a special relationship or more information than what families would like to share. I supposed some might feel that way, but the idea seemed like a stretch to me and easily managed by the parents.
Anyway, I like to share creative idea that families have to afford adoption and infertility. If you want another idea, read about the family that held a successful garage sale.
