It has been a long time since I have posted. Earlier this year, I decided to dial things back temporarily so that I could focus my energy on building my family through IVF. Well, I finally have some updates that I am ready to share with you.

I want to start by saying that while October is always an emotional month for me, as it is breast cancer awareness month and I’m a breast cancer survivor, this October has been particularly challenging. And before I share some incredibly exciting news, I also want to share and honor the devastation and fear that I have been feeling this month, in which the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust occurred. 

Having lived in Israel for 5 years and being married to someone with a large Israeli family, my heart is truly broken for my own people, for Jews around the world facing a surge of anti-semitism, and for the innocent civilians in Gaza who have been caught in the crossfires of a situation which feels like it has no good solution.

I felt a little guilty about sharing something so positive when it is such a dark time in the world, but at the same time, my purpose is and will always be to shine light where there is darkness. And so I hope this email shines some light upon your day.

11 years ago on October 5, 2012, I harvested my eggs for the first time after being diagnosed with breast cancer at 28 years old. It was a desperate measure to preserve my fertility, but sadly, I was only able to freeze 2 mature eggs. I was told that each egg only had about a 5% chance of working, and I was heartbroken. A week later I started chemo.

Today I am 20 weeks pregnant with 1 of those 2 eggs. And so far (knock on wood!) everything looks normal.

It was a long journey to get here. My first daughter, Ella, was the result of many additional cycles of IVF, and when we tried for a second, we had several failed attempts including an early miscarriage. 

It is hard for me to believe in miracles given the harsh realities of our world, but if such a thing exists, this must be it. Of course, science played a large role in this, but there is only so far that science can go.

I’ll be sharing more details of this journey soon, starting with my second exciting announcement: 

This Friday, October 20, I will be featured on the TODAY Show to tell my story! If you aren’t able to watch it live, I am sure I will be able to get ahold of a replay which I will share with you. 

This not only feels like the accomplishment of a major goal for me, but it is also truly an honor to be able to share my story at this level with a broad, national audience. As you may know, I believe that one of the best ways to deal with a WTF Moment, or a significant trauma, is to create meaning out of that experience. 

If anything good can come of my cancer experience and subsequent infertility journey, it is this: the opportunity to educate others with life-saving information, to support others and help them feel less alone, and to give hope where it is needed most.