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A couple living in Jersey are attempting to raise £7,000 to give them a "last opportunity" to become parents.
For 38-year-old Micaela Marques, "the desire to become a parent is an irreplaceable part of the human experience".
However, she explained: "Due to some health problems I can't naturally have children without medical help so I need to do IVF [in-vitro fertilisation]".
Micaela said that this fertility procedure – which involves removing an egg from the woman's ovaries and fertilising it with sperm in a laboratory, before returning it to the woman's womb – is "very expensive", particularly due to the current cost-of-living crisis.
"At my age, I'm trying to raise funds to be able to do it sooner than later," she said. "I have no time left and I can't fulfil my biggest dream of being a mother."
Micaela is not alone in her struggle to fund fertility treatment.
Pictured: Micaela said that becoming a mother is her "biggest dream".
A recent survey, carried out by fertility support and awareness charity ‘Tiny Seeds’, revealed that no islanders have received full funding for their IVF treatment – with some respondents sacrificing home ownership to generate appropriate funds during a cost-of-living crisis.
It highlighted that the high cost of IVF treatment, coupled with Jersey's increased cost of living is pushing people to the limits of what they can afford.
Of the survey respondents – which included individuals who had undergone IVF in the last 18 months, were due to undergo IVF soon, or who had been advised they needed IVF but did not have the means to pay for the treatment – 64% shared that they had, or would need, to borrow money to fund their treatment and that they are making sacrifices at the expense of reaching other life milestones to pay for treatment.
Tiny Seeds called for a "much needed and overdue change to the funding system".
Pictured: Access to IVF in Jersey is on a predominantly private basis and is a high cost treatment, often requiring multiple cycles as well as incurring additional costs such as travel and accommodation.
One respondent said: "We prioritised and spent the money for a deposit for a property on IVF.
"With our ages now and the high cost of housing, not sure we will ever afford a mortgage on-island."
Another added: "I sold my flat to be able to afford fertility treatment and start a family. I am currently renting and my proceeds/savings are almost at an end."
One islander said: "We were due to get married in May 2024 which was booked before we found out we would need IVF.
"We are now going to have to postpone this as anything we had saved towards the wedding went towards our first round of IVF and any future savings will be going into IVF."
Pictured: Some islanders have admitted having to sacrifice their mortgage deposits to generate IVF funds during a cost-of-living crisis.
The average amount that respondents had spent on IVF was £15,011, excluding the travel and accommodation costs associated with treatment only being available off the island.
The vast majority of respondents (87%) also stated that they could need further IVF in the future in addition to the treatment that they had already paid for.
You can support Micaela's fundraiser via her JustGiving page.
As many as one in six couples struggle with infertility, which is classed as a disease by the World Health Organisation. Yet sadly there is often a stigma and taboo that surrounds it.
Express spoke to Chloé Fosse, the founder of local charity Tiny Seeds, about infertility, IVF treatment, and the cost-of-living pressures placed on couples undergoing treatment. Listen to the interview below or search 'Bailiwick Podcasts'...
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