INFERTILITY SOLUTIONS: GRANDMA AND GIVING FOUNDATIONS
"I really do believe that anyone that has a heart to love a child and parent a child should have that opportunity."
Camille Hammond, Co-Founder The Cade Foundation
ALL ABOUT INFERTILITY
THE FACTS: Infertility affects approximately 13 to 14 percent of reproductive-aged couples. The ability to reproduce decreases as oocytes, egg cells, decrease, therefore the ability to reproduce is affected by a female's age. The ability also decreases largely due to an increase in miscarriages. Physicians usually ask patients a series of questions to better understand the cause of infertility. Questions asked includes current/past medical/surgical problems and changes in health; employment and potential chemical/environmental exposures; updated medicine list; history of miscarriages; alcohol, tobacco and drug use; prior pelvic infections; use of prior contraception; prior pregnancies from either partner and thorough gynecologic history. (www.emedicine.medscape.com)
IVF PROCESS: There are five basic steps in the IVF and embryo transfer process which includes: monitor and stimulate the development of healthy eggs in the ovaries; collect the eggs, secure the sperm; combine the eggs and sperm together in the laboratory and provide the appropriate environment for fertilization and early embryo growth. Lastly, transfer the embryos into the uterus. The number of embryos that should be created or transferred during any IVF cycle is open to debate. (www.americanpregnancy.org)
THE CADE FOUNDATION: The Tinina Q Cade Foundation (Cade Foundation) was created in 2005 to provide information, support and financial assistance to help needy infertile families. Dr. Tinina Cade delivered the couples triplets following 5 years of infertility for the Hammonds. She delivered her grand-triplets at 55 years old, making her the oldest woman to deliver triplets at that point. The Hammonds started the Cade Foundation to provide a vehicle through which families who had already overcome infertility could support families who were still on the infertility journey. To date, the Cade Foundation has hosted hundreds of outreach events throughout the US and provided 31 families with financial support for adoption and fertility treatment nationwide. There are currently 21 Cade Foundation babies! (www.cadefoundation.org)
