By UNIVISION CONTIGO
The significance of National Infertility Awareness Week and how my story translated into a mission to advocate and help others!
Tell us about your journey to parenthood
Growing up, I loved the idea of having a large family. Because of relationships that existed between my siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc., I knew I wanted a large family. Never in a million years did I think the road to starting a family would come with unexpected twists and turns and take such a long time. It took 9 years of trying to finally conceive. It then took another 6 years to get to the end of my fertility journey. That is 5 years total.
I am not alone in having faced and struggled through Infertility. Recently released data from the World Health Organization (2023) explains now 1 in 6 people globally are experiencing or have experience Infertility. This is a staggering statistic and cannot be ignored. This is why my passion after facing, battling and conquering infertility is to give back in a way that is helpful to women, men and families currently on their own fertility mission. I must say I was not sure what helping and giving back looked like and asked myself if I would be able to make an impact and reach actual people in need. While planning on ways to bring my passion for helping to life, I diligently worked on turning my journal writings into a published work to serve as a valuable resource to infertility patients. My book is called “It’ll Happen By 30: A Relentless Journey of Faith | Delayed But Not Denied.”
My goal is to provide a real, transparent and relatable face to the women entrenched in their struggles. Oftentimes when searching for available resources, people find there is not a lot of representation of relatable people. The interactions and material presentations are generic or cookie-cutter, if we may. As a former infertility patient, I can attest this does not bode well or help as intended. I want to be the face of hope. I want to be the example found in the fertility magazines or textbooks that represent success and inspiration no matter where a family is on their quest.
What do I have to offer and how can I relate? I am a young woman born in Miami, FL to Haitian immigrant parents. I possess first-hand knowledge of the importance and pressure to satisfy cultural norms that have been inherently expected. The Haitian immigration and Hispanic immigration communities share similar sentiments and approaches on how to deal with topics that are considered taboo or unnatural in nature. These same cultural norms have caused a stigma often detrimental to growth of the black, Hispanic, and immigrant families. Countless women feel alone in this fight because many from the culture are persuaded against seeking help and are even told not to speak up about their Infertility struggles. They are afraid of being judged, afraid to try and fail, and afraid of the sacrifices they’ll be seemingly making for something not guaranteed.
We are survivors of the struggle and look to inspire those looking for their own happy ending. The goal of having a family does not look the same for everyone and can be achieved in many ways. The results of my fertility brothers and sisters may not mimic the results of my family and I. However, my hope is that we inspire others to stay steadfast as they work towards their own image and pinnacle of success as it relates to their families before, during, and after infertility.
Please follow me on all platforms and feel free to connect with me should you know anyone currently experiencing infertility and in need of a resource. I can be reached by sending an email to: info@happenbook.com