Desperate Couples Crowdfund To Cover Expensive IVF Costs

Photo of author

(Newswire.net — August 7, 2014) Alicante, Alicante — The Albys from Manhattan are quoted in the New York Post as saying “We are just longing to start our own family,” who just 2 months ago decided to launch a $32,000 crowd-funding project on the website GoFundMe. They had the following to say about their dream project… “It’s been a hard decision to put ourselves out there like this, but if we can finally bring home a child of our own, it will be worth it.”

 

 

The Albys, who have been battling with infertility for several years, decided to join an increasing number of other couples who are successfully using online crowd-funding platforms such as Indiegogo, GiveForward and YouCaring to raise thousands of dollars for IVF, surragacy and adoption costs.

 

The online company GoFundMe have reported that the complete value to date of donations made to couples who seek IVF funding under the “Babies, Kids and Family” category worldwide comes to $1.1 million since they were launched in 2010. They have also said that statistically the numbers are still growing with the total amount donated between January and July 2014 is 30% higher than funds collected during the whole of 2013.

 

Even though the majority of donations are made by family, friends or friends of friends, strangers are also encouraged to contribute which has sparked off quite a lot of controversy. Some IVF Crowdfunders have been criticized for choosing the “hope jar” route.

Jennifer Lahl, president of the Center for Bioethics and Culture, an NPO campaigning about third-party reproduction issues, is quotted as saying “It’s pretty cynical and presumptuous to ask friends, family and strangers for money for crazy expensive IVF. It’s tacky and tasteless. What are they going to ask for next? The child’s private school or college fund?”

 

The Alby family have said that they personally haven’t received any negative feedback yet, and are determined to focus their eyes on the goal… “We’ve had a few people private-message us, saying, ‘This is great, but why don’t you guys just adopt?” Deirdre Alby responded to that and said “I was prepared for that kind of thing, but it stung a little. That word ‘just’ is so dismissive. It’s not as if it’s easy to adopt. It’s a long, drawn-out process and, in some cases, actually more expensive than IVF.”

 

In Europe Crowdfunding hasn’t yet taken off in such a big way as in the US, and infact many UK couples seeking low cost IVF treatments tend to go abroad in order to fulfill their dream of having a baby. Making a family is one of the most important decisions we take in life. However, having a baby is not always easy according to “IVF Spain,” part of an international medical network of clinics all over Europe with decades of experience in reproductive medicine, and who offer all the traditional methods of assisted reproduction with innovative techniques at the highest scientific standards, but with much lower IVF costs than in the UK.

 

For anyone intersted in seeking lower IVF treatment costs, IVF Spain offer either a free online IVF test or a personal and confidential extended Skype consultation with one of their gynaecologists here: http://ivftreatmentspain.com/free-test-and-consultation



 

 

 

Read the original quoted article, by Jane Ridley that appeared in the New York Post by following this link  http://nypost.com/2014/08/04/desperate-couples-ask-the-internet-to-pay-for-ivf-but-is-it-too-personal/

 

 

————–