Crowdfunding has recently become one of the most popular ways of raising money for just about everything from business startups to political campaigns. However, an examination of some online sites for fundraising shows that even those who need money for very personal reasons such as In Vitro Fertilization or IVF.
One couple who tried this route according to NPR is New York's Julia and Greg Fry who failed to get pregnant even after three years of marriage.They started with intrauterine insemination which costs less than $1,000 but was not effective for them.
"This, by far, is the hardest thing that we've ever been through together," said Greg. "There is always hope going into every cycle. And that hope, sort of, gets dashed at the end of the cycle, and then we start again."
Then they tried IVF which can be costly at up to $20,000 for each attempt. American Pregnancy defined IVF as an assisted reproductive technology where the egg and sperm are combined manually to achieve fertilization. Crowdfunding could be the solution for couples with similar problems but who could not afford IVF.
One of the success stories of IVF through crowdfunding is Crystal Barrett who turned to youcaring.com for the whole procedure which resulted in her being pregnant now at six months. While they raised $1,500 from the crowdfunding site, it was a modest amount considering the high costs of actual IVF said Chicago Tribune.
GoFundMe.com has raised over $3.6 million from an estimated 37,000 individual donors, for 1,700 campaigns for IVF funding. One of the reasons for the popularity of crowdfunding campaigns for IVF is the lack of insurance coverage which is offered only by 26% of companies at a meager maximum amount of only $5,000.
Health Medicine Network said getting a fertility app is another option for those who are hesitant to use the traditional sites for crowdfunding.For only $50 per month, users can contribute to a shared money pool for those who want to use the app which is a good alternative for those trying to get pregnant the traditional way.
