Previous Grant Winners
“We are Justin and Leah Garofali. We have struggled with infertility for about 6 years. Due to a number of medical issues, we knew having a baby would be difficult, but we were not prepared for the stressful journey ahead. At the end of last year, we found out that IVF was our only option to be able to conceive. With the outrageous costs of IVF and insurance not covering anything, we began searching for affordable clinics, and that’s when we found CNY. Through CNY, we were able to learn about Birdies Fore Babies and the amazing things they are doing for those struggling with infertility. The infertility community has some of the strongest and most resilient people we have ever met, and we are so thankful for the love and support. We cannot express enough gratitude for winning this grant. At a time when we were unsure how we were going to be able to continue on in our journey, we were blessed with this wonderful gift. Thank you again to Birdies Fore Babies for all you are doing for this community! We are so incredibly grateful!”
"Our journey towards parenthood, spanning nearly eight years, Seth’s and mine, has been a testament to the power of love, faith, and unwavering determination. From our spontaneous wedding in 2015 to navigating the challenges of infertility, we’ve faced each obstacle with hope and steadfast faith in God’s plan for us. Despite enduring several deployments and the heart-wrenching loss of my father in 2019, our longing to start a family has never been stronger.
As Seth bravely served his country aboard the USS Ohio, a guided missile submarine, our hearts were united in faith, seeking strength and guidance through each separation and trial. The loss of my father only deepened our reliance on each other and our shared belief in God’s unwavering love.
Now, as we stand on the brink of possibility, the CNY Birdies Fore Babies IVF grant serves as a beacon of hope, a tangible reminder of God’s grace and provision in our lives. Our hearts are full of gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon us, and we are ready to embrace whatever the future holds with open hearts and undeterred faith, trusting in God’s perfect timing and unfailing love.
We pray our story helps ignite hope and the endless possibilities that life can offer at any moment."
"Although we knew as a same sex couple that we would need help conceiving biological children, we never imagined the long and painful journey that lay ahead. We have struggled with infertility and received fertility treatment for the last three years. After experiencing discrimination and inadequate care at our local fertility clinic, we started working with CNY. To date, we have been pregnant twice, but unfortunately miscarried both times. We are still waiting for our take-home baby. It has been such a challenging road with travel, frequent appointments, emotional ups and downs, and so much unpredictability. Finding out that we received the Birdies Fore Babies grant brought us so much joy in the midst of the challenges of infertility. What a blessing to receive this support from all of the wonderful people who have contributed to this very meaningful cause. We are forever grateful!”
"We are Chris and Kelli Rimer. Infertility has been written into our lives as of June 2019 after my brain surgery. Since then our life has been full of never ending doctors appointments trying to figure out our next steps to having kids of our own. Through CNY we found an organization called Birdies Fore Babies that has helped us out in a way we can never say thank you enough for! Our infertility community is a group of some of the strongest warriors that I have ever met and raising awareness about it not only makes it easy for me to share my story but it can hopefully help others through this journey. This is not easy but it sure helps having the support. Sam Fishers lyrics hit hard when he says, “Just because I carry it well, doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy and I don’t need some help.”