We married in 1992 and like most couples we had our life on a proposed "timeline."  We had just finished college and wanted to spend a few years together working on our marriage, careers, and financial goals before starting our family.  After a few years of marriage we decided it was time.  Even though we thought it would happen quickly, we tried for several years without success.  Struggling with infertility was extremely difficult, and we felt very alone and confused for many of those years.  Most of our family and friends had 2 or 3 children while we were trying to have our first.  Baby showers, holidays, and gatherings with children became more difficult as the years passed by.  We were happy for other people in our lives who had children, but we also asked, "why not us?" 

We became more and more discouraged.  Over the years we saw numerous doctors, including an infertility specialist, but none of them ever explained the medical reasons for our infertility or described a specific plan for our treatment.  They had what seemed like a random approach and nothing they tried ever resulted in a pregnancy. 

After years of that hopeless feeling, a couple from our church referred us to Dr. Vasquez.  We were a little skeptical at first, but they talked at length about how caring Dr. Vasquez and his staff were and how, for the first time in their journey with infertility, they felt like more than just a number.  We decided to see for ourselves and scheduled an appointment with Dr. Vasquez.  As soon as we entered the Center, we were warmly greeted by the receptionist and several staff members.  When we met Dr. Vasquez, he took us into his office and spent about 45 minutes of his time getting to know us personally, even though it was late on Friday afternoon.  For the first time, we felt like someone genuinely wanted to hear our story and try to help us.  Dr. Vasquez was very up front with us and made no promises.  Based on his initial review of our history, he recommended tests that we had never been offered before and explained the specific medical reasons for these tests as they related to us.  Most importantly, he demonstrated a level of compassion we had never experienced.  He gave us a "game plan" of action, and we finally felt hope again for the first time in years.  Throughout the tests and procedures, Dr. Vasquez and his staff took the time to call us even if it was late at night or whenever we had questions or concerns. 

After a complete work-up we met with Dr. Vasquez and recommended we go through in vitro fertilization (IVF).  The fear of the treatment was really worse than the treatment itself.  From the beginning we never felt like we were going through this alone.  In addition to Dr. Vasquez and his staff's support, we had countless family members and friends praying for us and supporting us.  Then on March 24, 2006, we gave birth to our little miracle boy, Nathan.  We picked Nathan because it means "a gift from God." 

Going through infertility is definitely a huge struggle, but once you hold that precious piece of heaven in your arms every test, procedure, tear, and prayer is worth it all.  We feel strongly about our role in encouraging other couples going through infertility because you truly do not know how difficult it is unless you have gone through it yourself.