Awareness 2024

California IVF offered free IVF cycles as part of Fertility Awareness 2024. View the recipient’s stories and follow their journey through IVF and embryo transfers. Follow us on social media for more videos and announcements including our Fertility Awareness 2024 contest and more free IVF cycles.

Awareness

Affordable fertility care for Sacramento and Bay Area patients.

The cost of fertility services has been increasing in recent years. Many clinics are being acquired by corporations aiming to maximize revenue. California IVF is a private practice that strives to keep treatments affordable and enhance access to care.

We have contracts with most insurance providers. Patients often have coverage for their initial consultation and diagnostic testing, and some patients have coverage for more advanced treatments such as IVF.

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Awareness 2024 Promotion

Infertility impacts 7-8 million Americans across various ages and backgrounds. When pregnancy is not easily achieved, individuals often grapple with uncertainty and what steps to take next. Social pressures and embarrassment can prevent many from seeking necessary assistance. While online information and public awareness have enhanced understanding of infertility, much progress is still needed. Numerous patients report to our clinic unaware of the available treatment options or the advancements in current treatments. Misconceptions regarding the cost of fertility treatments further deter individuals from pursuing help.

Treatment for infertility varies from basic methods like ovulation restoration to advanced procedures such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) with embryo genetic screening. The expense of these treatments poses a substantial obstacle for many struggling with infertility. IVF costs have been increasing. California IVF is dedicated to raising awareness about infertility challenges and enhancing access to IVF treatments. By offering multi-cycle discount options, patients can often undergo multiple egg collection cycles and embryo transfer procedures for less than the cost of one treatment at other centers. These options cannot be used with insurance.

Promotion 2024

California IVF has always focused on looking beyond the current technology and tries to push the boundary of the next generation of fertility care. We have been working on developing a highly streamlined and efficient approach to IVF that could eventually lower the cost of IVF services.

Our multi-cycle award will include one of two treatments. Patients will be able to undergo two egg retrieval procedures followed by one embryo transfer procedure. Alternatively, patients can go through one egg retrieval procedure and up to 3 embryo transfer procedures. Our providers will help guide the winner with the best option based on their individual history. The good news is the plans remain interchangeable until after the first egg retrieval. This allows patients to get the maximum benefit from the multi-cycle package.

We will also be offering one treatment using platelet rich plasma (PRP) for injection into the ovaries. This is an emerging treatment that is still experimental. While the data is still limited, there may be potential benefits for patients with diminished ovarian reserve or poor egg quality. One recipient will receive a free PRP treatment followed by an IVF cycle in which any viable embryos will be frozen for future use.

Applying

Candidates should review terms and conditions of the program. If you are eligible, you will need to complete a brief registration form. After submitting the registration form, an email will be sent with details on providing a video entry for the promotion. Videos should not be sent before the registration process and should not include individually identifiable information. The videos will need to tell us (and the public) about your infertility story and why you should be selected for the free cycle. Video submissions will be the main factor in selecting the winners so please be sincere, engaging, and creative. Have fun with it! Videos should be 2-5 minutes in length. You will need to post the video on YouTube or Vimeo and submit the link when filling out the video entry form. Videos will be used for voting and selecting the winners. Remember, we are promoting awareness!

Terms and Conditions

Female Age 43 years old or less for IVF or PRP
One entry per person or couple
Must use your legal name as it appears on your state or government issued photo ID
Services not provided at California IVF (labs, ultrasounds, travel, and other expenses are not included)
No significant medical problems or uterine abnormalities
Motile sperm present on semen analysis or using donor sperm
BMI less than 34
Willing to share your story on social media, radio, and other formats
Ready to undergo IVF or PRP within 3 months of selection

Additional terms and conditions will be outlined in the application process. Please indicate the service that interests you. All application steps must be completed for consideration. Applicants will be disqualified for incomplete or falsified applications.

Included

New patient consultation
IVF / ICSI using our current multi-cycle plan (2 cycle / High AMH)
Saline contrast ultrasound (if indicated)
Medications – IVF portion only
Anesthesia and embryo freezing
Embryo storage for up to 1 year from the date of egg retrieval
Pregnancy test x2 and OB ultrasound x 1 for transfer cycles

Excluded

Cost of donor sperm (if applicable)
Cost of Frozen Embryo Transfer Medications
Services not provided at California IVF (labs, ultrasounds, travel, clinical psychologist)
Any additional healthcare or pregnancy expenses not specifically listed as included
Embryo storage after 1 year from the date of egg retrieval
Compensation or credit for unused awards

Capturing the Story

Winners have been selected!

Recipients of the Fertility Awareness promotions from 2020, 2021, and 2024 submitted videos telling their story and struggle with infertility. These stories were reviewed, and winners were selected. Their journey has been documented through a combination of videos recorded by the recipients as well as footage captured during their visits to California IVF. Our intent was to capture the emotion and real experiences of couples as they progressed through fertility treatments. There was no script, and their outcomes were uncertain. We are grateful for the opportunity to share their stories in an effort to increase awareness of infertility and IVF.

Fertility Awareness 2024 Winners

Winner: 2 Cycle / High AMH Plan

Our multi-cycle discount plans are designed to optimize the cost of IVF.

Ivette Lomeli

They heard about promotion through 106.5 the end. High School Sweethearts with a natural connection to children. They bought a home together and were ready to start their family. Unfortunately, they were diagnosed with male factor fertility. IVF offers very good chances of success for them, but they are faced with the challenge of the high costs associated with IVF treatments.

Winner: Ovarian PRP and IVF

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections is an emerging treatment to improve ovarian response to medications.

Arla Ashmead

When Arla was ready to start a family, she turned to the internet for help. Arla found success through intrauterine insemination (IUI) at California IVF. After the birth of her son, she returned to California IVF Fertility Center. Her IUI treatment was initially successful, but she experienced a pregnancy loss. After additional IUI attempts, Arla considered IVF. We are all looking forward to Arla’s journey with IVF. Her message is to always stay positive!

Winner: Single Cycle IVF

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections is an emerging treatment to improve ovarian response to medications.

Chelsea Sola

They have a large family with many nieces and nephews. Children are the only missing piece of the puzzle. In 2023, her husband Cody was diagnosed with cancer. They are in their early 30s ready for family. Due to the high cost of IVF, and the lack of insurance coverage, they have been unable to pursue treatment. They remain positive and have hope to have a family one day. We are looking forward to working with Chelsea and Cody as they move forward with IVF!

Winner: Single Cycle IVF

Alyson Facha

They tried for a year before going to her OBGYN for testing. They were left without answers, and they went to a fertility clinic for help. After additional treatments, they were cleared to proceed with treatment. After 4 IUI cycles with clomid, they were not successful. They were advised to pursue IVF but needed a break from the financial and emotional stress. Thanks to 106.5 they heard about the promotion at California IVF. After a 3 ½ year journey we are excited to extend the awareness promotion to move them forward with their family!

Fertility Awareness 2021 Winners

We received more entries for our awareness 2021 promotion than we did in 2020. We are pleased to announce the winners! It was a difficult decision, so difficult, in fact, that we selected 5 couples for IVF and 1 couple for IUI. Our goal through promotional programs is to raise awareness about infertility. 1 in 8 couples will experience infertility, and like most, these couples never thought they would be a part of this statistic. Follow the journey of our patients as they go through IVF treatment in hopes of overcoming infertility.

The Esquilins

Amber and Gabe Esquilin live in Modesto with their blended family. When they wanted to grow their family together, they had a harder time getting pregnant than they thought they would. Amber went through two treatments with Clomid but sadly miscarried both times. Heartbroken, they took a break from treatments and became pregnant with their son. Now their hope is to have another baby so that he can have a sibling close in age. After more treatments with Clomid, they started to consider IVF. They have an active social media presence, and with the help of many YouTube followers, they were able to win the public vote by a large margin. During their IVF cycle, they experienced a large drop from the number of eggs to embryos. They were only able to complete one transfer cycle which was not successful, but they remain grateful for the opportunity and hopeful the future may provide them with one more child to complete their family.

Jillian and Timothy Pfeifer

When Tim shared his health story with Jillian he was literally sweating bullets convinced she would jump out of the moving car and not date him! Tim had been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 2 years old. After a double lung transplant when Tim was 17 years old, he received a standing ovation when he walked across the graduation stage! Unfortunately, shortly afterwards Tim was diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoma. He underwent chemotherapy and is now living cancer free. Cystic Fibrosis can also cause infertility. Tim knew how much Jillian wanted kids, but Jillian knew Tim was the one for her and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. They married in 2018. IVF is Jillian and Tim’s hope for fulfilling their dream of starting a family together. Their health insurance does not cover IVF so winning the California IVF fertility awareness promotion has been another dream come true!

The Shaws

Domonique and Reginald married in 2018 and struggled to get pregnant. They had a beautiful daughter born in December 2019. Two weeks later their daughter’s bloodwork revealed a rare genetic condition, ADL which effects 1 in 17,000 babies. Females tend to be asymptomatic, but the prognosis for males tends to be poor and often fatal. Dominique and Reginald underwent genetic testing, and Domonique was found to be a genetic carrier for ADL. After discussions with their genetic doctors and counselors they were advised that the best-case scenario to have another baby would be to explore IVF with genetic testing of the embryos before transfer. California IVF offers Preimplantation Genetic Testing where embryos are screened for genetic problems to optimize IVF outcomes by identifying healthy embryos for transfer. With an IVF cycle from California IVF, they were hoping to add to their family again, which is exactly what happened!

Zuriel and Joanne

Zuriel and Joanne are high school sweethearts and have been together for 16 years. At 12 years old Zuriel was diagnosed with Lupus which he successfully battled and had been in remission for years. In 2015, while they were away celebrating their 10th anniversary, Zuriel got a call from his doctor. Zuriel’s tests were not good – he was having a relapse and had to begin chemotherapy immediately. They realized that if they were going to be able to start a family together they needed to take action. They found California IVF and made an appointment resulting in Zuriel being able to donate and store his sperm to use at a later date. “The consult addressed all our concerns and gave us a bright spot for the future,” Zuriel remembers. The young couple got hit with another challenging medical issue when Joanne had to undergo surgery for Endometriosis. The surgery was successful, but the doctor advised them that IVF was going to be their best option for a successful pregnancy. After 2 egg retrieval procedures, and significant egg quality issues, they did not have any embryos available for transfer. Endometriosis can be a significant factor in the struggle to become pregnant. Fertility clinics celebrate the success stories but also have to endure the painful reality that not everyone is successful.

The McIntyres

Hannah loves children and was working as a nanny when she met Cody, a pilot in the US Air Force and fell in love. After getting married in 2015 they tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant. “We were both young and healthy, how could it be us?” they had reasoned. After three years of trying to get pregnant, they realized something wasn’t right. After testing, they were told everything was “normal” and there was nothing the doctors could do for them. They were referred to California IVF, and the cause of their infertility was found. They went through two rounds of medications and timed interourse without success. They were so excited and encouraged by the Awareness Promotion and its role in helping educate and de-stigmatize infertility. Hannah and Cody are passionate about sharing their story with infertility and helping remove the misconceptions and stigma surrounding it. Through their journey they have discovered so many people they know have struggled in silence with infertility. “It’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed by. Infertility is more common than we may think, affecting 1 in 8 couples. ” “Instead of letting our diagnosed infertility break us, we have decided to turn it around and make us stronger, better people, strengthen our marriage and hopefully become better parents in the future.” After IVF and an embryo transfer, they were able to begin a new journey as expectant parents.

Angela and Marisa

Angela and Marisa have been together since 2015. They were married in October 2020. After finding their perfect donor, they attempted a few tries home insemination before applying to the California IVF Fertility Awareness program. While they were not selected for the IVF program, the staff felt they were perfect candidates for intrauterine insemination (IUI). The clinic gifted them 3 attempts at IUI in appreciation of their openness to share their story and bring awareness to fertility options available. After a successful IUI procedure, they are now contemplating additional children in the future!

Our goal throughout this promotion is to raise awareness about infertility. 1 in 8 couples will experience infertility. Like most couples trying to start a family, the couples that entered the giveaway never thought they would be a part of this statistic. In addition to increasing awareness around how fertility affects individuals and couples, we want to raise awareness about the fertility treatment process and the journey our couples experience. We are grateful to everyone who shared their stories with us. It was not any easy decision, but with help from public voting and our staff selections, we are pleased to introduce you to our 2021 winners. Follow us on social media for updates on their progress and announcements about future IVF awareness promotions.

Fertility Awareness 2020 Winners

Instagram: @lovemav

The Aromins

Linda and Ryan Aromin have been on their infertility journey for 10 years. Linda has had 2 ectopic pregnancies, which resulted in both fallopian tubes being removed. They knew IVF would be the only option left, but the cost was too much, and they never thought it would be possible. Instead, they got used to the idea that their family was complete with their son, Maverick (11). This contest gave them the opportunity to expand their family. Linda has gone through the egg retrieval process and a successful embryo transfer. Her obstetrical ultrasound confirmed a pregnancy in the uterus, and they scheduled an appointment with their OB doctor!

Instagram: @mrs.dandridge

The Dandridges

Selecia and Angel Dandridge are IVF veterans. In 2019, they started an IVF cycle at another clinic. Only one follicle developed for Selecia and the cycle was converted to an IUI cycle that was eventually cancelled. After 2 home inseminations and another canceled IUI cycle, the emotional toll was too much and they decided to take a break. Selecia even considered stopping all together, but decided to have a little more hope and enter this contest. With California IVF, they have had a successful egg retrieval with 11 eggs and 6 embryos, but the first transfer was not successful. They are taking another break from treatment before deciding if and when to proceed with another embryo transfer cycle.

Instagram: @juicemckenna

The McKennas

Justine and Zach McKenna were just starting on their fertility journey. They were previously diagnosed with infertility after unsuccessful attempts to get pregnant on their own. This was their first attempt with IVF and they were very hopeful during the IVF process. A successful embryo transfer procedure has allowed them to graduate from fertility treatments and start their obstetrical care with her OBGYN.

Instagram- @little_bit_complicated
Facebook- @LittleBitComplicatedBlog
Website- https://its-complicated.com/

The Molchens

Christa and Josh Molchen describe themselves as educators, adventurers, musicians, and nerds. While saving up for IVF for the last four years, life just wouldn’t stop getting in the way. They sold their house and rental property in the hopes to have enough money but found themselves unexpectedly homeless due to fire floods. This forced them to use the money they had save for fertility treatment and left them with no option to proceed with treatment. With California IVF’s help, they have completed their egg retrieval cycle. Despite using genetically tested embryos, their struggle continued. Infertility does not treat people fairly, but the California IVF team remains committed to helping them reach a successful outcome. After another embryo transfer, they achieved a pregnancy.

Instagram- @ivf_in_california

The Varzhabetians

Elena and Vazgen Varzhabetian came to America to achieve the American Dream. Their most important goal; becoming parents. After waiting 12 years to have a baby, they found it more difficult than they thought it would be. With four unsuccessful IUIs, they have turned to California IVF for help. They have now gone through the egg retrieval process and found themselves faced with poor embryo quality. After additional fertility treatments, they found success and are looking forward to the family they always wanted.

The Duvals

Sandra and Jason Duval have been together for ten years and married for five. After buying their first home in 2017, Sandra found out she was pregnant, however, it ended in a miscarriage. They found it more difficult than they thought it would be to get pregnant again. Their first step a fertility evaluation followed by three IUIs, all of which were unsuccessful. With this free IVF cycle, they are given a greater chance of starting their family. Sandra completed her egg retrieval and transfer procedures. Unfortunately for Sandra and Jason, the struggle with infertility continues.

The struggle of infertility profoundly influences a person’s well-being. We feel infertility treatment is not elective. California IVF Fertility Center remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic. As more couples struggled with the fear of financial hardship and delays in getting help with infertility, we felt it was time to do something. California IVF has always focused on looking beyond the current technology and tries to push the boundary of the next generation of fertility care. Increasing awareness is also a very important goal as many of our patients start their journey with very little information about IVF and other fertility treatments. Our recipients of the free IVF cycles agreed to tell their stories and have their journey recorded. IVF outcomes are not always successful, but when things go well, there is no greater joy than making family possible.

The struggle of infertility can have financial and emotional burdens that prevent people from moving forward. California IVF Fertility Center is contracted with most insurance plans including Tricare and VA. For people without insurance coverage, we offer discounted multi-cycle plans. With these plans, we are able to provide pricing options that are more suited to what people need for their IVF journey.

The 2 Cycle / High AMH plan provides a choice between 2 complete egg collection cycles and one embryo transfer procedure or 1 egg collection cycle and up to 3 embryo transfer procedures. The package cost is the same for both options.

Many other fertility centers have pulled out parts of their packages to create additional charges that may not be obvious to someone that doesn’t understand the IVF process. Separate charges for anesthesia, ICSI, culturing of embryos, embryo freezing, and the embryo transfer procedure are being charged on top of the IVF cost. Our packages are inclusive of these services and our goal is to have clear and affordable options. We are happy to discuss our costs and help you understand how to compare prices between IVF centers.

Ovarian platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections are an emerging fertility treatment being evaluated for the potential to increase egg numbers and quality in the setting of diminished ovarian reserve. Preliminary research is showing some promise for PRP injections. Many patients have experienced positive benefits. More time and additional research will be needed to fully understand the potential benefit of PRP injections.