Woman’s struggle with infertility leads her to help others

A little more than two years ago Leah Seymour and her husband, Chad, were dealing with the issue of infertility – now the couple has come full circle.

With a healthy child now part of the family, Seymour is helping other couples in their struggle with infertility.

FIRST REPORT: Couple blessed with baby after years of trying

According to the most recent national survey of family growth conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 8 couples (12 percent) have trouble getting pregnant. Infertility is defined as an inability to become pregnant after one year of trying.

After nine years of trying to have a child, the Seymours, who live in Lebanon, were pleased to “have the biggest miracle.”

“We tried for nine years and had been going through in vitro fertilization,” Seymour said. “We ended up in a new drug trial with the Institute for Reproductive Health in West Chester Twp.”

On Valentine’s Day in 2014, the couple found out they were pregnant and their son was born Oct. 3. After his birth, the couple was looking for ways to help others in Butler County and surrounding areas.

“After we were able to have a child, I was looking for ways to give back to the infertility community,” Seymour said. “I went and spoke to support groups, but thanks to the power of social media I met David and Jen Bross on Facebook.”

The Brosses run Parental Hope, a Cincinnati-based non-profit dedicated to raising awareness and providing emotional and financial support to couples battling infertility.

Now, Seymour is now on the board of directors of Parental Hope, which serves Butler County and the southwest Ohio area.

“There are three ways Parental Help works, first it’s about getting the word out that there is help for couples — we also want to reach out to men so it’s not just women — but couples as well,” Seymour said. “Also, it’s important to help couples deal with the emotional roller-coaster caused by infertility.”

The third issue deals with the financial aspects of of the issue. Parental Hope provides financial assistance to couples battling infertility by annually awarding up to three grants.

“The costs of going through treatment for infertility can skyrocket quickly from $10,000 to $20,000 in some cases,” Seymour said. “We had awarded three grants this past year and have learned that one of the women is pregnant.”

Parental Hope is an all volunteer organization, according to Jen Bross and is made up of an eight-member board — all women that have gone through infertility — and have become pregnant.

The organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year, called “Journey to Parenthood,” will be held on April 29, and is already sold out. It is being held as part of National Infertility Awareness Week.

“I think it is important for people to have somebody to reach out to when they are going through the infertility struggle,” Seymour said. “We went through it for almost 10 years and were amazed how many people reached out once they heard about our battle.”

Couples looking to connect with Parental Hope can call 513-279-2188 or email info@parentalhope.org.

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