KCinfertility: Support for the Journey

What if you dreamed of being a mother, but you were diagnosed peri-menopausal at age 28? What if your husband dreamed of being a father, but he discovered after four years of marriage that his body produces absolutely no sperm? These are heartbreaking and lonely questions to answer—but also very, very real circumstances for many in our community.

Infertility affects one in eight couples. Family-building options available to this population, whether through medical treatment or adoption, can be invasive, highly unpredictable and extremely expensive. Navigating infertility is a daunting challenge that strains physical, emotional and financial resources.

At KCinfertility, our mission is to provide community, education and support to those striving to build their families. The Kansas City Infertility Awareness Foundation, or KCinfertility, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 2011 by four local women who shared a vision of creating a network of support for those affected by infertility in the Kansas City area. Today, KCinfertility builds on that vision by connecting those affected by infertility to a community in which they are understood, while offering emotional support, financial aid and educational resources to that community.

Our annual Family Building Conference is held each year during National Infertility Awareness Week and offers a venue for attendees to hear current information from leading providers in the field. The ninth annual conference will be held Saturday, April 27, 2019, at Johnson County Community College.

Our in-person support group, now entering its sixth year, meets on the second Monday of every month in the Brookside area. Group members stay connected between meetings in our Facebook groups.

The fifth annual Path to Parenthood 5K Walk/Run will be September 21, 2019. This family-friendly event raises funds for the Family Building Grant and is a great way for infertility “alumni” to continue to support the community.

Perhaps most importantly, our Family Building Grant Fund, established in 2015, awards funds annually to assist Kansas City locals with the costs of medical treatment or adoption. Since its inception, the program has awarded over $43,000. ■

For more information, please visit kcinfertility.org, subscribe to our email publications and like or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Written by: Emily West