I'm gonna
give you some medicine
to get you relaxed.
A couple margaritas are going
to take you to Cancun, OK?
OK?
Yeah.
OK.
All right.
I never
pictured that is what
it would take to have a family,
but it's worth every penny.
I'd say the whole thing
is way over $200,000.
It's brutal, but-- yeah.
Eventually it will be-- you
know, long term, it'll be fine.
This is my special lady.
All right, I'm gonna
hold on to your hand
while you go to sleep.
And you're my man.
I'm your man.
Yeah.
That's an honor.
Just God and--
just God and you.
Thank you so much.
I'm hoping to try to get
five or six good eggs
for you that are mature.
OK.
OK.
Here we go.
OK, fire.
Opening.
I got four
from the first tube.
Five, six.
IVF
is very expensive.
A single cycle of IVF, $12,000.
The medications could
be another $5,000.
Now you've got to travel here.
So let's just round up and say,
imagine one of these cycles
costs somebody $20,000.
Now, if we're out looking
for a car, or a boat,
or things like
that, we pretty much
know that that's collateral,
and I can finance that.
Now imagine I sent
you into that car lot,
and you've got a
50/50 shot somebody's
giving you a set of car keys.
But we are taking your $20,000.
Would you even gamble
on something like that?
You wouldn't even gamble
on something like that.
And that's what
they're gambling on.
They're paying for an attempt
to try to have a baby.
More than 7 million people
struggle with infertility
in this country.
Couples who so desperately
want to have a baby,
and just can't do it naturally.
There is almost nothing
they would not try.
Well, you've heard of contests
to win all kinds of things,
like a cruise, or an iPad.
But have you ever heard
of winning a free baby?
The Sher
Institute in Las Vegas--
--has
a national contest.
A video contest--
--offering
free in vitro treatments
to one lucky couple, submitting
videos on why they should win.
Hi, I'm Jackie.
Hi, and I'm Kelly.
And we are the Barkers.
We're here today to
talk about a little-known
super villain in the super
hero community, infertility.
Not being able to
have a child of your own
is one of the most
soul crushing,
painful, and humiliating
things you can ever experience.
We believe--
We believe--
--that we could have a baby.
This is my only option, and
it would be a dream come true.
More than anything, I want
to be a mom from the beginning.
We hope that you'll consider
us for this opportunity.
Please vote for us.
Please vote.
We're asking you
to vote for us.
Please vote for us.
Vote for us.
10:00, 10:30,
11, 11:30, 12:00.
No, we had 10 today,
nine tomorrow.
Is it 10 today?
10 today, nine
tomorrow, 10 on Saturday.
All right.
It's better than
having 25 in one day.
Well, we're on a roll, so it
really doesn't matter, does it?
We're here to talk
about the I Believe contest,
and this year's version.
You know, what we're thinking
about doing this year is
hosting the contest on YouTube.
Then once we have
our 10 finalists,
that's when we
bring the judges in.
The only other way to do
it is to let it be judged
completely on the internet.
And I just don't like that.
Can I tell you how much
I do not like that?
Do you know what
these people went
through to make their videos?
And to have it boil down
to something as meaningless
as popular--
We see all that, and
we feel that exact sentiment,
but if the true
mission of the contest
is to raise awareness
for infertility,
and get people to watch these
videos who wouldn't watch them
before, the only way
we can accomplish that
is by having the open
voting on the internet.
The big benefit in you
allowing Facebook and YouTube
is strictly for you guys.
Like I said, if I
had my way, I would
eliminate that altogether.
We
have two goals here.
The first goal we have is
to be able to give away
one cycle to needy people, and
build awareness in the process.
The second is to build the
brand that we are practicing in.
And we need the popular
vote, and the exposure
through the popular
vote to do number two.
If we don't do number two, then
we only have one objective.
And that's altruistic,
and it's great,
but that's not how
the world works.
Action.
I think I just touched
your boob, I'm sorry.
That's OK, you're
married to me.
And action!
Cut.
That's great, I love it.
Making a video like this,
every frame was very personal.
But we try to keep
our sense of humor.
Take three, clapping for sync.
It's a daily struggle.
Hold on, let me start again.
All right.
The script is a struggle.
OK.
I think
anyone entering the contest
feels that the
stakes are very high.
They probably feel like
this is our last hope,
this is our last chance.
My doctor said that the only
way that we could get pregnant
was with IVF.
He gave us a 5%
chance without it.
But we cannot afford IVF.
This is
something people
don't normally talk about.
I'm just in awe
of how many people
are struggling with this.
Do I really want to put a
video on for everybody to see
my story and know my business?
No.
But we want this.
This is our last chance.
This is a race for a baby.
This is serious.
This is the only thing I
cannot provide for my wife.
So I'm praying that you take
our lvies into consideration.
They're outing themselves
in a very personal manner,
and that takes courage.
There's this kind of shame,
and you feel like a failure.
So for me it was a lot easier
to come out as a lesbian
than it is to come out as
having infertility issues.
I know there's so many stories.
And how can you vote?
I wish I could have put
more into this video for her,
but I just found out
about this last night.
Please vote.
Please vote for us, and
help us fulfil this dream.
- December 20.
- Yes.
Life changing.
Yes.
And we want that
to be our lives.
Thank you.
Check your focus.
All right, stand by.
Going to camera three.
I work for a Catholic
television station.
So for me it was serendipitous
that Dr. Sher was
going to do a video contest.
Because everything I've worked
for my entire life can now
directly help us achieve
our goal in life,
which is to have a child.
The presents.
We gotta put names on them.
In the Mexican culture,
getting married and having kids
is an expectation
that's just kind
of in the ether the whole time.
But my question is,
what does the fox say?
Growing up, you
see these family groups.
And I've always dreamt of
having my own children.
I'm very grateful that the
family is able to get together
and do this every year.
Amen.
Amen.
All right, dig in, folks.
The
holidays have always
been very difficult for me.
When I six years old, we
were living in Mexico,
and we were struck
by a drunk driver.
My two brothers passed away,
and my father passed away.
And I think that's why,
for me, it's so important
to have a biological child.
To hopefully, maybe, get
a glimpse, you know--
well, he looked like grandpa.
All right, it's
time for gifts.
It's time for gifts.
- Ooh!
Oh, what cool outfits.
Time for gifts.
It took me two
and a half years
to save up the money that we
needed for our very first IVF.
Woo!
To Tia Elena.
I'll
be 41 soon, and we
don't have two and a half
years to save up again,
so this is it for us.
All right, Merry
Christmas everyone.
Yay!
My name is Athena Reich.
I'm an actress and
a singer songwriter.
I give music lessons
to kids, and I work
as a Lady Gaga impersonator.
I want your love
and I want your revenge.
You and me could
write a bad romance.
Oh.
I want your love and--
I started wanting kids
since I was a baby.
People would say, what do you
want to be when you grow up?
And I'd say, the first woman to
walk on the moon, and a mommy.
And a firewoman.
And then later, an actress.
So I've always known I wanted
to be a mother, always.
And I've just been, you
know, focusing on my career,
and trying to find
the right partner.
Right.
When I first decided
that's it, I'm
just gonna start having kids.
I can't wait any more.
I would wake up panicking
about being a single parent.
But I'm not doing this alone.
I have my mom, and her support.
Athena's very resourceful.
I think she'll manage it.
I think it will be hard.
But I think she'll work it out.
New York, New York.
- How are you?
- Good.
How was your morning?
Good.
I've always known I
wanted to have kids.
But I had infertility problems,
so I said, that's what I want.
And if you're willing to
do it, then we can date.
Hello.
Hello.
What do we have?
Yay.
I've been told just
to stop trying.
Maybe God doesn't want
you to have children.
Just adopt.
As if we haven't tried.
And then purple on
the sides, too, maybe.
We just felt the best option
was just to take a mortgage
out, and go through in vitro.
Just put it up so you can see.
They put in two
eggs, and they both took.
So my wife got
pregnant with twins.
Can you read this?
Yeah.
What does it say?
Happy birthday to my
baby girl in heaven.
Mommy loves you and misses you.
My son was 20 weeks
when my water broke.
And then I was
immediately rushed
into surgery, because I didn't
want to lose both children.
About three weeks later
my water broke again,
and Katalynn passed
away a couple
hours after she was born.
I could not look at this
book for a long time.
But when I got
strength, and when
we got stronger as a
couple, we realized
that it was something special.
Hey, I don't know about
you, but I still struggle
going into our baby's room.
It's still hard.
And so it's, like, best
when the door's closed.
There's a part of
me inside of me
that feels like it would be
best for us just to start over.
You know, be in a
different relationship
with somebody else.
And try to have your
family with somebody else.
Because that pain that we
have will always be there.
And that's the
challenge, is trying
to fight through that urge to
say, you know what, I'm done.
I just wanna move on.
And that's the real challenge.
Yup.
Hi.
Ready to do this?
One, two, three.
We've made it this far.
Love you.
You too.
I'm just willing to take
the risk again, to be a mom.
So this contest is our best
chance at having a family.
I think it's
important to acknowledge
that there's no fair or
right way to do this.
It's just an inherently
difficult process.
And whoever does come
out, you know, a winner,
the other people are not, you
know, losers by any stretch
of the imagination.
Her, I just felt
like she's so broken.
And it was a very raw moment.
But, yeah, I feel--
I feel concerned for her.
I am absolutely
glad I am not a judge.
I wouldn't be good
at it, and I wouldn't
feel good about doing it.
I don't like pitting these
people against each other.
Next is Athena Reich.
Hi, my name is Athena.
I came out as a
lesbian as
a teenager.
I told my mother.
She was very
accepting.
She said the only
thing that makes
me sad
is I always
pictured you having
a family,
and children.
And I said, mom--
I was 17 at the time--
I said, mom, that's
not changing.
I've always wanted children,
and me being lesbian
is not going to change that.
So--
Even when she was
talking about coming out,
and even then, one of the
first things that came up
is are you gonna have children.
And I thought that she
brought up a really good point.
She's taking an
action step, instead
of waiting for a partner,
which she hasn't found yet.
She wants kids, and she knows
it, so she's gonna go for it.
All right,
so we're gonna move on.
Brian and Ann Johnson.
--it goes to waste.
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home.
And ignite your--
OK, our notes on them.
We know what happened
on their first IVF.
And they were foster parents
for two girls for a year,
and they had to give them back.
So--
Do you know their ages?
Yes.
33 and 35.
So they're still young, yeah.
What I was most impressed
about was that they persevered.
And having gone through
a failed adoption,
I understand that
those feelings can be
very similar to an actual loss.
All right,
Dagoberto and Rosalinda.
Life ran
past us, until one day.
This is the story of a girl
and a boy who found each other,
and would now love nothing
more than to grow their family.
Dago would like to teach
him or her all about cars,
and share his vast
Star Trek collection.
For us it has been four IVFs
and two frozen embryo transfers.
So I think you guys
remember this one.
- Yeah.
- Yes.
OK.
All right.
The notes that I have on them.
He's the manager for
a Catholic TV station.
She's an accountant.
He's what?
He's what?
A manager for
a Catholic TV station.
For them to step
forward, with his job,
is incredibly courageous.
And actually could
jeopardize his job.
How many of
the IVFs did they do?
Two?
Four IVFs, two FETs.
I mean, I really,
really like them a lot.
I thought their story
was really well done.
My only concern is, I mean,
they've done a lot, a lot,
a lot.
This is not like they've done
a couple of Clomid cycles,
and I'm just--
- I don't know.
It's tough.
You want to pick somebody
that's got a good story
that has the financial need.
But also, that has the
best chance of success.
OK, on that note,
I think we are gonna vote.
As horrendous a word as that is.
OK.
This is like Sophie's Choice.
The
Sher Institute asked
me to be a judge for their
contest, and I declined.
Here is a medical procedure
that is necessary for people
to treat their disease.
And it's just this one sector of
the entire health care spectrum
where it seems perfectly normal
to have a raffle or a contest.
It's disturbing.
It's a hardship
for the average American
to afford IVF, and for
many it's impossible.
For those that say that
there shouldn't be a contest,
I agree.
There should be insurance.
All right, so
we're gonna go around the room,
and we're gonna--
Jay?
I have my logic
that I'm clinging to.
But this, I think,
has been a good experience
for you guys, because,
like, you felt like you
had nobody on your side.
And no one understood you.
And now look at how much
support you're getting.
She's gonna have her babies.
I know she'll have her babies.
It's almost time.
Oh, gosh.
Ick, nervous.
Hi, mom.
Hi.
So I'm gonna look at the
results to see if I won.
Oh, you
haven't looked yet.
No, you're gonna look with me.
Oh.
But some of the
people in this are
like, you know,
same story as me,
but maybe they
were at it for 10--
like eight years.
And then, like, the
husband suddenly
gets multiple sclerosis.
I'm like, well how
am I gonna beat that?
That's good.
- Hey, guys.
- Hello.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Hi.
All right, well, we won't
torture you anymore.
You guys are a great couple.
You'll be great parents, so
you guys are the winners.
Yeah!
Oh my god.
Oh my god.
Ah!
my god.
Oh!
Oh my god.
Oh my god.
Thank you so much.
So much.
Well, you guys
have plenty of time
to digest and figure out
where you're gonna go.
Congratulations again.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Bye bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Come here.
So we're gonna have
a hug of tears.
Which shoulder do you want?
Come here.
I can't stand up.
I'll hold you up.
Annie, come here.
We've gotta do our champagne.
Woo!
Woo!
It's getting in our glasses.
So that's it.
The wait is over.
It may well be an especially
happy holiday this year
for a couple in Green Bay.
This morning, Brian
and Ann Johnson
learned that they'll be getting
extra help in their attempt
to have a baby.
Fox 11's Ben Krumholtz
has their story.
OK, obviously we couldn't
be in here because we didn't
want to ruin the surprise.
But take me through it.
What was it like
hearing the big news?
I feel like this is a dream.
I don't think either one
of us fathomed something
like this would ever happen.
This is just like
slam dunk for us.
We're gonna bring home a baby.
Or two, or three.
We have to sit down
and figure it out.
Yeah.
I mean, I can hear them--
I hear voices, you know,
from family, and stuff,
and you know, God has a plan.
And I can only say I
certainly hope so, because it
looks pretty dark right now.
Protocol.
I'm going to--
Yeah, I've got to go
to theater class tonight.
- All right, well--
- You're off?
I'm off.
I'm off.
I'll see you later.
- Have a good day.
OK.
- I'll see you when I get back.
All right, babe.
In the rest of the
IVF field, I'm looked
upon somewhat as a maverick.
Good at marketing.
I look at it this way, I've
got the most wonderful family.
I've got grandkids,
I've got kids.
I've been able to do
exactly what I want,
and I've lived the
American dream.
And it's not over.
I got into IVF
completely circuitously.
I remember
your sparkling eyes.
As a young kid I was
in a rock and roll band that
traveled the country
and had an opportunity
to leave South Africa.
And when I went to tell
my father about that,
he said, who do you think
you are, Elvis Presley?
He had a small factory, but
it was always in trouble.
And he was always working as
a handyman outside of that.
And he didn't want me to end
up doing what he was doing.
So I got the opportunity to
get into a medical school,
and I went.
When I got to about my third
year I got to deal with people.
All of a sudden I was hooked.
I wanted to deliver babies.
That's what I wanted to be.
So that's how it started.
We started doing
IVF in 1983, '84.
We were the only private
program in the country.
The first 10 people came
through, and none got pregnant.
So we had to learn
by experience.
And the next four women,
three got pregnant in a row.
Joining us now to tell us
what the future holds for baby
making, Dr. Geoffrey Sher.
We welcome you to the show.
Today he has eight
private fertility centers
across the United States.
Dr. Sher has a book out
called "In Vitro Fertilization,
the Art of Making Babies."
This is a big reality
check of the state
of art of this business.
Am I an entrepreneur?
Yes, I am an entrepreneur.
It's in my blood.
Many people look upon
medicine as a calling.
It is a calling, but
it's also a business.
We've got refreshments
on the table behind me.
And then I do need you
to stop at this table
before you take a seat.
Have you had a consult
before with the doctor?
Yeah.
If you would like
one, we will be
scheduling them at the break.
I just need you to
return this form.
That's better.
Welcome.
Can everybody hear me?
At the back as well?
Can you hear clearly?
Great.
Thank you very much to all of
you for coming here tonight.
People often ask me,
what is the very best
that could ever happen in IVF?
Let's first look-- two embryos
in a woman that's 35 to 39.
The national success
rate for a single round of IVF
is approximately 30%.
So 70% of the time it fails.
Gotta tailor make it.
That's the key to success.
IVF does not guarantee
that you get a baby.
It is a form of treatment that
hopefully ends up with a baby.
But it doesn't work for
every single patient.
Here's what I promise you.
If you do all the things
that are available to you
through our program,
there's about a 90% chance
that you'll end
up having a baby.
It may be a difficult path.
Some people won't be able to
do it with their own eggs.
They may need to
use a donor egg.
But ultimately everybody
here has an excellent chance
for having a child.
Thank you.
If you line up on
this side here,
and this side here,
they will give you
appointments, which are free.
Bring your records along.
--Saturday appointments?
If I'm
fast enough I can do--
--that's going
to be on Sunday,
sometime between 10 and 12.
We'll call you on Friday
and give you an exact time.
All right, thank you.
I think you're
dealing with hope.
Purely with hope.
Wonderful.
You go in to have
a hip replacement,
you expect to walk.
Outcome equals effort.
That doesn't happen in IVF.
We can only do our
best, and then comes in
hope, prayer, and inspiration.
I'm here today to
support my daughter.
Something told me
that later on in life
God would help her
to get that baby.
Our faith is that
nothing can happen
if God does not decide it.
And that is why we believe
Dr. Sher is blessed by God,
and whatever he does, he's
doing it with God's guidance.
With God's help.
Whether he
knew it or not.
Whether he knew it or not.
Hello, Ann.
I hear you.
I see you.
Great to
meet you in person.
I heard all about your story.
And I'm so glad that we're
able to be of help to you.
Thank you.
And congratulations
on winning this contest.
It's a big deal.
And I'm going to do everything
in my power to help you.
Thank you so much.
All right, we're
gonna talk about how
we're gonna get this done, OK?
You take fertility injections
for some amount of time.
Leads to an egg retrieval,
leads to an embryo transfer.
That's still the
basis of what IVF is.
I work with many patients
who have won this contest.
You see them all the time
all over our website.
They've won these contests,
and they have babies,
and they could have
never done this before.
How could that ever be wrong?
How could that be wrong?
But I've got to think about the
other 99 people who didn't win.
We were just really struggling
trying to figure out how we
were gonna take the next step.
And then we talked
to our parents,
and they said that they would
be willing to lend us the money.
We're already in debt.
Do we bankrupt this family
to try to fulfill this dream?
So we decided that this
would be our last try.
Anyone who entered
the contest--
those who don't
win, the losers--
they still get a free
consult from a doctor
any one of our clinics.
They still get a discount
on their services for IVF.
OK, so I started
out at University
Reproductive Associates,
and there's those records.
- OK.
- And then I went to.
Columbia.
- OK.
And now I'm at New Hope.
My goodness.
It's gonna cost
maybe $15,000, and my mom
and I split the cost.
Have a great day.
You too.
Hi, Rosalinda,
can you hear me?
Yes, I can hear you, Dr. Sher.
I know that due to my age
it's gonna take longer
to find an egg that's good.
But is there still a chance
that we can find one?
The biological
clock cannot be reset.
So it's very important
that whatever we do,
we don't waste a lot of time
to get down to doing it.
And I'm not ready
to give up yet.
All right, we won't
give up on you, either.
No matter how a
patient gets to me--
whether it's through
a contest, or they
scrape together the money--
they all face the ultimate
challenge, which is,
am I going to get
a baby out of this?
To prepare for a cycle of IVF,
Dr. Sher gets everyone cycling
at the same time.
And I have 45 people
in this cycle.
Women normally grow
one follicle per cycle,
and they ovulate one
egg from that follicle.
In IVF they need to
undergo many injections
to stimulate their ovaries to
grow as many eggs as possible.
IVF is a numbers game.
Two, three.
There's no
measurements on there.
It's really fucking thick.
This is day 24 of injections.
Two, three.
One, two, three.
Hopefully this will
get us our golden egg.
Can I cut them shorter?
Yes, please.
Tomorrow I'm gonna go to Vegas.
Do you do insemination or--
We're doing IVF.
IVF.
Mm-hmm.
Why you get a
blue color today?
Blue for a boy.
I want a boy.
Oh, you want a boy?
Yeah, for my husband.
My third boy.
Yeah.
I thought it would
be a girl, yeah.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
No, I'm 42.
I'm done.
So this was a surprise.
Ha, ha.
My best friend's son,
my godson, they're 40,
and they just got surprised.
Their boys are like, 11 and
nine, and they were not--
Yeah, mine are 16 and 11.
--they wanted
another one, a girl.
And they got triplets.
Oh, triplet girls?
They broke the bank.
They broke-- it was crazy.
Oh my gosh, yes.
But it was pretty funny.
Yup.
Strange how it happens,
and what we get, isn't it?
OK.
I'm doing this for my wife
and myself to have a family.
But it's a really tough journey.
The Catholic church
disapproves of IVF,
because it believes that
you're messing with nature
in a way that you shouldn't.
It's considered one of
the unforgivable sins.
I'm following my
heart, but I can only
hope that my conflict
and my remorse
is enough that God will
forgive me for what I've done.
It took us seven years
to get to this point.
And, you know, through
everything, we've stuck it out.
It really is now
or never for us.
Our house is in the
foreclosure process.
We still technically own
it, but not for much longer.
Just trying to survive.
And whatever happens,
we're in this together.
OK.
I think that's everything.
Welcome aboard
American Airlines flight 2375.
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to Las Vegas.
You go pose with them.
No, I'm not gonna
pose with them.
Yeah, I'll take
a picture of you.
That's not gonna look right.
That's not gonna look right.
Yeah it is, go ahead.
Take my picture?
Got it.
Thank you.
Live long and prosper.
Live long and prosper.
This is the trigger shot
that gets the eggs ready.
We have to do it
exactly at 9:30.
You ready?
And I'm out.
I didn't feel anything.
You're good.
One, two, three.
Don't let go.
I'm not letting go.
I got you.
Tell me where you're at.
I'm done.
No way.
OK.
Love you.
Love you.
It feels
like you're just one
step away from the threshold.
Yeah.
Especially because
balancing the hormones
through acupuncture, and helping
the chi and blood to become
strong enough to increase
your ability to conceive,
and to sustain the pregnancy.
What we call fulfilling the
essence, in Chinese medicine.
Yeah.
So we're gonna go ahead open
up and clear the magnetism, OK?
Oh.
I do have some concerns
about all these hormones,
and about medicalizing
a natural procedure.
On the other hand, Athena has a
strong desire to carry a child,
and I understand that.
We all take risks in life
to get what we really want.
And it seems to me that
the enrichment of her life
is worth that risk.
The stereotype
of IVF is that it
is something that you
do on a whim, kind
of like elective
plastic surgery.
A long line
of celebrities who've
chosen this path to parenthood.
I feel like the
media, in general,
really focuses on pregnancy.
Oh, you're having a boy!
Any time a celebrity
gets pregnant they
have a baby blog on people.com.
They are doing
interviews constantly,
which really drives me
bonkers, because they think,
like, well pregnancy
is the new black.
We're still trying.
We're on the fifth
try, and I tell you,
this is fifth try
has got to come in.
Ah!
Right.
I think people know
about infertility largely in
the context of celebrity media.
And I think it's
great that infertility
gets the airtime that it does.
But it doesn't really speak to,
here's the actual experience
of an American in this
country with a median income,
and here's what
you need to save up
in order to try for a chance.
Thank you for holding.
At the Sher Institute
our physicians
have helped thousands of couples
stop spinning their wheels,
and go from
infertility to family.
I'm
gonna say they're
showing signs of fertilization.
We don't know if they're
fully fertilized yet.
I won't know that until our
next update on day three.
The other three just
didn't fertilize at all.
I'm trying not to get nervous.
Ha, ha.
- Hi, good morning.
- Good morning.
Can you take a look
at the information here?
And if everything is
correct, I want your initials
somewhere on the label, please.
All right.
Here you go.
Thank you.
OK, Brian, if you follow me.
You guys usually finish almost
approximately at the same time.
And I do apologize, I usually
have this ready, but--
And the cup in here.
- OK.
All right?
Thank you.
Thank you.
What's this?
Car accident, or something?
Car accident.
Infertility
is a huge control issue,
because you just
naturally assume
you are gonna have control
over your reproductive life.
And then that control that
we just assumed we were
gonna have is yanked from us.
One of the most important
things I have to do
is reverse the idea that even
we have some control over this.
There's the man of the hour.
Hi, how are you?
Margarita time.
Hello, Dr. Sher.
Being put to sleep now.
I hope this
works out for Rosalinda,
but the one thing
that happens over 40
is, you become unpredictable.
Here we go now.
So we're shooting for six
mature eggs here, if we can.
Hopefully.
11, and 12.
Please stop.
Thank you.
One.
Four, five--
Two eggs from the
first tube, sir.
Thank you.
We finished the left ovary.
--from the left ovary.
Three.
One.
One.
Two.
Three.
One minute.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Her blood pressure was high.
I've given her--
Maybe she's a
bit nervous, because it
wasn't so bad before.
Diastolic
was very, very high.
- It was?
- 120s, 130s.
Oh, boy.
We'll get it taken care of.
I've got
her to 160 over 95.
Hi, good to see you.
Hi, Ann.
How you doing?
Having a lot of pain?
It's not bad.
Not bad.
We'll give you some
stuff for that.
The nurse will come in.
I've got good news for you.
For both of you.
OK.
We have-- we had 27 eggs.
OK.
22 are mature.
That's as good as it gets.
Now you've got a bit of problem
with your blood pressure.
I know.
I don't understand.
Yeah, we're
gonna have to check
your blood pressure again.
Make sure it's
controlled, all right?
But so far we're
doing just fine.
Very happy for you.
All right?
Good luck.
Thank you.
God bless you, sweetie.
OK?
Where's your face?
Right there, under your hand.
Are you OK, mamita?
Just really groggy.
Hi.
Hi.
Wonderful news.
How many did we get?
14 mature eggs.
Mature eggs?
Mature eggs.
Wow.
That is incredible.
Yes.
That was much
more than we expected.
Thank you so much.
I'm very happy for you.
Now I believe that I'm
going to be a grandma.
Oh, please, God.
Please, God.
Please, God.
We'll do our best.
You did so good.
You OK?
We'll see tomorrow
how many fertilize.
All right?
Hello?
Hi, Dr. Jazayeri.
I'm calling you about a
patient of yours, Ann Johnson.
I'll be back in
just a few minutes.
We're both
on the same page here.
And I'm gonna
convey this to her.
If she's pregnant,
she must report to you
immediately for prenatal care.
I'll make sure of that.
Hello, Ann.
Hey, how are you doing, sir?
Ann, you've got a
very serious problem
with your blood pressure.
It's very elevated.
I cannot put two embryos in
your uterus with your blood
pressure as high as this.
We we're only going
to put in one.
It would be bad
medicine to do more.
But you have to understand
that the chance of pregnancy
occurring and a baby being
born is reduced by the fact
that we can only put back one.
This is a once in
a lifetime opportunity for her.
She got something that
she's never in her life,
I imagine, going to get again.
And now you want her to
cut her chances in half.
And so we're going
to do what's safe.
If your blood pressure
had not come to under 110,
I would not put this embryo in.
All right.
Whether it's gonna
happen the first time,
because only one
embryo, we don't know.
Just Pray that it does.
It's got every chance.
Zecky, you can load.
Load one embryo
for Ann Johnson, please.
One embryo for Ann
Johnson, coming up.
Our drive through window.
Our McDonald's
window, right?
Right.
It's where we order
our babies, to go.
I've loaded a single beautiful
looking embryo for Ann Johnson.
Are you Ann Johnson, ma'am?
Yes, I am.
All right, thank you.
in now injecting it.
And now he's injected it.
The little white spot there,
that's a bubble of fluid
which contains the embryo.
You can't see the embryo.
It's only the size
of a grain of sand.
There it goes.
Now I come out slowly.
You've got it.
Excellent.
That went very, very, very well.
That's as good as we can do it.
Here you go.
Good luck to you.
I'm so happy for you.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You look all druggy
from your Valium, girl.
You're a lightweight.
Goodness, look at you.
I don't do well
with narcotics.
No.
All right, starting today,
goes all the way out until we
do our second pregnancy test.
We always do two
pregnancy tests.
I have worked with Dr.
Sher since February,
1999-- so 16 years.
Going into infertility was
a calling I felt I had,
because I had
infertility issues.
And I've been lucky.
I've had three children.
But I can remember what it feels
like to experience infertility
today.
It allows me to get what
these patients go through.
Levent, could you
please load two embryos
for Rosalinda Coto-Patlan?
- All right.
- Thank you.
Moving
slightly to the right.
Here he comes with the embryos.
Two embryos for
Rosalinda Coto-Patlan.
Is that you, Rosalinda?
Yes, that is.
All right, thank you.
OK, here we go, now.
You know,
one of the things I tell
my patients is
they keep thinking,
I need to make sure
I get eggs out.
OK, got eggs.
And then we say, all
right, all right.
I just asked to get a positive
pregnancy test, and we do.
And then you wait for
the first heartbeat.
And then you say, all right,
I'm gonna deliver a live baby,
please.
Well, please let it
not be stillborn.
And it's not.
And now, if you're like me, you
have a seven-year-old who you
worry is gonna be kidnapped.
And you have a
16-year-old who you worry
is getting a driver's license.
And this is the
reality of motherhood.
And it starts from the minute
they start taking shots.
She's got them.
I'm proud of you.
You did great.
OK, put your hands
on your chest for me.
You just say some prayers,
and we just relax and let go.
And they're either going
to implant, or they're not.
OK
- OK?
- Great.
- All right, sweetheart.
All right.
Happy
birthday to you.
Happy
birthday dear Rosalinda,
happy birthday to you.
Hey.
Woo!
Currently
we're two days away
from our pregnancy test.
They call this
the two week wait.
And those days
just feel eternal.
Well, I understand
my wife's desire
to have a biological child.
Losing her father
and her two brothers
left her with a hole inside.
I certainly can't have any.
But I'm adopted, so it's
not the only option for me.
It's not the only option for me.
For me, at the end
of the day, family
is not about genetics at all.
It's about love and unity.
My parents are my parents.
That's my dad.
That's my mom.
But for her, egg
donation or adoption
is really not an option,
because we're still on plan A.
But I've heard her say,
what's the point in being
married if we can't have kids?
We've had a
conversation like that.
It was an emotional
conversation,
so I don't necessarily hold her
to that, but boy that sure--
that sure stuck here.
I hope my
wife is pregnant,
because the last two
weeks she's had me running
to McDonald's, Taco Bell.
She's having me run
everywhere to get
her food that she's craving.
If she's not pregnant,
I'm gonna be pissed.
But let's see this through.
I understand that.
Let's wait for the call
and see, hey, she is.
We're just waiting.
Yes.
Hello.
Hi.
Who wants good news?
I can tell by your face.
You gave it away.
I gave it away!
Here's my result. I have
my result here for you.
I'm not lying.
Here it is.
I'm so excited.
Yeah, me too.
You're pregnant?
- Thank you so much, Linda.
- Thank you.
Congratulations.
Oh, I'm gonna give you-- mm.
And on your bald head.
- My bald head.
- Good papa.
Brian looks scared.
Are you?
What's wrong?
It's just, like,
starting to hit.
You know, you always--
I thought you were pregnant,
but then-- and now it's
sort of like you're pregnant.
Pregnant.
It's crazy.
I know.
It's all good, sweetie.
I was in rehearsals
for my Lady
Gaga tribute show, dancing,
singing, sweating for hours.
I can't help
but keep on dancing.
Goddess of love.
Goddess of love.
So I'm just doing my thing.
I'm having a blast.
And I'm pumping myself.
I'm like, it's OK.
You had a great show.
Your life is good.
It's OK if you get
pregnant later.
And then I'm like, oh, I
guess I should check the test.
And I look, at it's pregnant.
And I'm like--
Athena.
Athena.
Fuck, oh.
I can't help
the way I'm feeling.
Goddess of love please
take me to your leader.
I can't help but
keep on dancing.
And I just like--
I feel more, like,
happy and mellow.
Like I definitely feel
like I'm on a drug.
And it's the best drug ever.
And I was telling my mom about
it, and she said, oh, honey,
that's just how I
felt. You're pregnant.
Because she just
loved being pregnant.
Ha, ha, it's such
a good feeling.
All right, you guys
heard Lady Gaga is--
she's pregnant.
And she's making an appearance
right here on my show.
I can't believe it.
So please show some love
for pregnant Lady Gaga.
OK.
Right now I'm logging on to
the Sher Institute's website.
So, so far he's
got 16 beta tests,
and 12 have been positive.
Hey babes, no call yet.
No call yet?
No.
So I rushed over
here for nothing?
No.
You can hold my hand.
I can hold your hand.
How you doing?
Good.
So, see what happens.
Let's hope we get good news.
Ah, there's Linda.
Hi, Linda.
All right.
Well, I got the results.
- No?
- No?
Not good news.
They were both negative.
Not even a nibble.
Oh, Linda.
Those were our last two embryos.
Yeah, I know.
Well, I guess we'll wait
to talk to Dr. Sher to see--
Yeah, I'm so sorry.
OK, thank you.
All right,
guys, I'll talk to you later.
Bye, bye.
Bye.
I'm sorry, baby.
Oh.
I mean, what are we--
I just don't understand.
You know, the blasts
look fine every time.
Chromosomally, they're fine.
But it's still--
it's still numbers.
It's like a slot machine.
The more dollars you put
in doesn't necessarily mean
the more likely you are to hit.
The chance is the same
every time you pull it.
This
is the fifth time.
I mean, I know what
Dr. Sher's gonna say.
He's gonna say the
eggs are too old.
It's time to go
on to an egg donor.
But that's just not
an option for me.
I thought you said
your cousin offered.
She offered, but--
You mean, for you,
personally, it's not an option?
Are you telling me--
I mean, there are
no other options
open-- that you're open to?
So now adoption's off the table?
You talked about it.
We talked about the possibility
of using donor eggs.
I mean, those
discussions, we've had.
I mean, if they weren't
options, then why were we
even talking about that?
I don't know.
I guess I just never really
thought it would come to that.
Now that we're here,
they're not an option?
Well, I don't agree
with that at all.
But I always
told I would want
my own biological child first.
First.
But if you can't have it
first, then you scuttle
the idea of an entire family?
I find that just very, very
difficult to understand,
for someone who wants
a child so badly.
I'm
always gonna wonder.
I'm always gonna wonder.
Wonder what?
If it would have
been different.
If something would
have been different.
Well, being a product
of adoption myself,
I never wondered.
I know, baby.
And it's really hard for
me to say this to you.
So that's it, we're done.
I do stay emotionally removed
from most of it, amazingly.
That's-- my patients will
tell you that I'm not
emotionally removed from them.
And I'm not really
emotionally removed from them.
I have to be emotionally removed
from the outcome, though.
Because I couldn't handle that.
I can't-- I couldn't handle,
you know, these people--
sorry-- having negative
outcomes all the time.
And it would break my heart.
It would break my heart.
Now
while I'm copying this,
I just need you to look
over your information,
make sure everything is correct.
- OK.
- Read through and initial.
- OK.
And then you're just going
to sign and date the back.
OK, great.
Thanks.
I've been planning for
this baby for a long time.
So when I got pregnant this
time, I just felt happy.
I felt like a normal woman.
Not like a woman with a problem.
I went there today, and the
baby hadn't grown at all.
We just asked the doctor,
was there any way that--
he said, no, it's passed away.
Do you mind, can I have a
fresh probe cover, please?
I asked the doctor,
well, does this mean that I
have a problem with my eggs?
He said it probably does.
I want to have a little ritual,
maybe, or something, but--
at some point.
But maybe when you
come we could say
a few words in Central Park.
Yeah.
It's just a lot to go through.
Yeah, it is.
That's why I'm saying I
can't keep doing this.
Mm-hmm.
Knock, knock.
Can I talk to you
about a couple things?
Sure
OK.
All right, one--
I'm gonna save my good news
for a minute, all right?
OK.
This is-- I've
got to go over this
OB ultrasound with Ann Johnson.
She was six weeks, two days.
She only measured about
five weeks, two days.
No fetal pole.
This looks very dismal to me.
I know.
This lagging growth.
Right.
I think we're gonna
lose this pregnancy.
Yeah.
There's a lot of babies there.
Hey, Dr. Jazayeri.
How are you?
All right.
So this is the gestational sac.
That's where the
pregnancy would be.
OK?
The measurement on the
fetus, unfortunately,
has not changed--
has not grown any.
And I don't see a heartbeat.
There's no heartbeat,
no growth, nothing.
I don't even know
what to do now.
I wasn't expecting this.
I was expecting a
normal ultrasound.
I love you, baby.
I love you too.
We are here to
discuss our journey,
offer encouragement and support.
So any of the things
that we say and do today
are to be kept here.
There are such highs,
and there are such lows.
I guess that's why we
all come here, right?
Because you've got some support.
So I am lost, because
I was banking eggs.
And on the last
procedure I had one egg.
And I was like, I'm done.
My body is done.
So I was just like,
I'm done with meds.
I'm just taking a break.
We are talking about
adoption already.
We've already done research.
What about surrogacy?
How much would that cost, if
you wanted to go down that path?
I can't even think about it.
Surrogacy, donor egg, all
that, like, freaks me out.
Like, I can't--
And what works for some
people doesn't work for others.
Then from the
time I was a child,
I mean, adoption was
always a very big and open
conversation to be had.
You know, but then
when you got to, well,
do I want that child
to have a piece of me?
I mean, there's
so many components
to such a huge question.
The thing is, most
people don't even
have to ask these questions.
I think it's just
very hard for anybody
to understand any
experience they haven't had.
And particularly when
it comes to children.
Childbirth, and child rearing--
people have all
sorts of opinions,
and they're very willing
to give them to you.
Rather than listen to
what your experience is,
and what your desires
and hopes are.
Come on.
Don't cry.
Don't cry.
Can I see you?
Yes, I can!
Oh, we waited so long for you.
We did.
I knew we'd be here.
I did.
200, 20, 40, 60.
Here's what we
got medication-wise.
I've got-- today I just added on
the Gonal and Menopur as usual.
Same as before.
Right, same as before.
In all honesty, Rosalinda
has a very difficult prognosis.
OK.
I didn't
press her to go again.
It was something
she wanted to do.
What can you say?
It is their choice, ultimately.
But there's got to
be a point in time
where she's got to really
say to herself, you know,
is it worth it?
What is the cost
emotionally, financially,
physically to keep doing this?
This one's measuring
roughly 14 millimeters.
Ann took it very badly
when she miscarried,
and so we said to her, come
back and do another cycle,
and we'll do it free for you.
She came back.
We weren't obligated
to do that, but I
felt she'd been though enough.
118 Over 78.
That's good.
Yeah.
This black
area here, this
is called the gestational sac.
That's the first sign of
pregnancy that we see.
OK, I'm trying to see
if I see anything yet.
Yeah, it's a heartbeat.
Wait, wait.
That's a heartbeat.
Oh my goodness, we might
be seeing a little heartbeat.
Do you see that, honey?
Oh, my gosh, I do.
Do you see that?
I do.
Oh.
Do you see that?
Oh, there you go.
Here, here.
Here you go, sweetheart.
There you go.
- Are you ready for this?
- Yeah.
Take a deep
breath, Annie.
OK.
OK, what are we doing here?
Are we doing this?
- Oh my gosh, I'm so nervous.
- OK.
- Hold on.
- You closing your--
cover my eyes?
OK, you got a corner?
Lift it off.
Ready?
One--
Don't peek.
One, two, three.
It's a girl.
We'll
for a girl.
OK.
Oh, here's another new one.
Let's see where
her skills are at.
I've thought about it a
lot, and I think it's time
to move on to egg donor.
I've always wanted to be
pregnant and carry a child.
And, you know, for
me, as a single woman,
I think egg donation will be
easier than trying to adopt.
So I know this is the
right decision for me.
Hi.
Hi, how are you?
Good.
So you've made a choice.
Well, I had these
three top favorites.
Did you look at my top
favorites, or only the two?
I did.
OK, what did you think?
I thought 1213 was fine.
I just thought she seemed very
smart and musical, but only,
like, average good looking.
Yeah.
But the donors really cute.
The male donor.
Mm-hmm, yeah.
Oh.
Like, I-- I think
she's the best choice.
I mean, genetics are so weird.
I know.
That's why I thought I should
just choose her, because I
just want it to move forward.
So I think she's
a good choice.
Look at this,
we're at the front.
I know.
This is great.
It's so great.
I plan on being very
open about my child
having been conceived from
both sperm donor and egg donor.
The thing is, you have to
take joy in whatever you have.
Being confronted with the
limits of my biology--
it's a huge loss, but
I still have choice.
Is that a baby
duck next to it?
Yeah.
Oh, yeah, look, another one.
There's one, two, three.
Aw.
We either have
this child, or we
need to move on and
start living our lives
as a childless family.
I think that we can
be happy either way.
I don't know if she
really feels the same way.
You know,
I try to think,
OK, so it doesn't happen.
I'll focus on my career.
But, you know, if I'm honest
with myself, and honest
with Dago, I have no
idea how I'm gonna
feel if this doesn't work.
People
who haven't experienced
infertility don't know what it's
like to live with infertility.
You wanted to make
the choices in life--
the key choices in life--
and you can't.
You can't put a label on that.
You can't put a name--
it is just raw pain--
emotional pain.
Maybe we're supposed to have it.
Maybe we're supposed to have it,
because we're supposed to have
that drive to procreate.
Hi.
Hi, sweetie.
Welcome home.
When my wife and I
met and got married,
we wanted to have kids.
And this is what we had to
do to get to our family.
For whatever reason,
we had to struggle.
We had to struggle
in our marriage.
We had to struggle
to get to our family.
And right now, I'm
ecstatic, because I'm a dad.
God, she's heavy.
Hiya.
Hi, little one.
Dad's really holding her.
This is a new beginning.
I look forward to her, just
to see what she's gonna be.
You know, and how
she's gonna be.
I want to know that
feeling of holding your child,
and knowing that I'm
someone's mother.
Please vote for us.
Their name sounds familiar.
Do you remember them?
I think they
submitted last year, too.
Really?
This is one of
those couples you go,
what's going to happen
if they don't win?
Hi, I'm Jackie.
Hi, and I'm Kelly.
And we're the Barkers.
This is our story.
Baby hold on to me.
I'd like to see every
patient I treat get pregnant.
It's not gonna happen.
It's not gonna happen.
We do not create life.
I think we are simply
the conduit through which
greater forces than we work.
Are we ready to get started?
We can't guarantee
a baby, nobody can.
But one chance is certainly
better than no chance.
Hi, I'm Jackie.
Hi, and I'm Kelly.
And we are the Barkers.
This is our story.