Did you watch Survivor this season? If you did, you saw Jaclyn Schulz in the final three. What you may not know is that she competed and won the title of Miss Michigan in 2013 and used the platform to educate the public about MRKH Syndrome, or Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome.
To most people, this was the first time they had heard of MRKH. According to the US National Library of Medicine, MRKH “is a disorder that occurs in females and mainly affects the reproductive system. This condition causes the vagina and uterus to be underdeveloped or absent.”
Most women who are diagnosed with MRKH know from diagnosis that pregnancy will be a challenge. Successful MRKH pregnancies usually must involve assisted reproduction, specifically in vitro fertilization. However many women with MRKH syndrome will choose adoption.
The main choice that many couples face has to do with financial resources. Each cycle of IVF can have a cost of $10,000 to $20,000. And typically couples are told to have a budget of 3 cycles before expecting possible success, if it indeed happens. And success rates decline starting at age 30. A total adoption usually costs between $25,000 and $30,000, making it a more attractive option for couples who need to consider budget.
Lifetime Adoption has worked with couples struggling with many different fertility diagnoses. Whether you have struggled with PCOS, MRKH, or any other diagnoses, we would be happy to help you learn more about adoption. We understand that parenthood is a journey, and moving forward into adoption involves mourning the true loss that a pregnancy may not happen for you. We can give you tools to move through this time.
Learn more about adoption and how it may be the answer to your dreams of parenthood!
As Vice President of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.
0 Comments