Before proceding with this bit of history, I consulted with Christine and Jason to see if they felt sharing a little bit about Kevin's conception would be of value to couples who are considering in vitro fertilization.  Christine had some small doubts as to whether relating about the process she and Jason experienced would even be of any interest.  Because this portion of my web site is meant to be a chronicle, I explained that this out-of-the-ordinary conception process is part of Kevin's history.  I also commented that sharing what they had experienced may provide the extra bit of encouragement other couples might be needing to sustain their hope of having a child.

The reality here is that Jason and Christine overcame what I viewed as unfavorable odds to conceive their child and that whole process affected me deeply; so with their permission, I decided to go ahead and provide a bit of background and talk just a little about what it was like for me to witness my daughter's pain, discomfort, anxiety, hope and joy.

In early 1997, Jason was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma.  Prior to beginning treaments, Jason and Christine were encouraged to have Jason's sperm collected and stored.  Yes, there were some jokes but I can't share them -- this is a family site, you know.

By mid-October of that same year, Jason completed treatments and was declared in remission.  This, by itself, is a miracle.  Follow-up testing revealed that as a result of the treatments, Jason was rendered sterile.  Approximately one year later, after much research and soul-searching, the kids made the decision to proceed with attempting in vitro fertilization.

I confess that I had strong reservations.  I knew this process was quite expensive and even though this science has come a long ways in it's success rate, the odds of success were barely in their favor.  What I didn't know was how exacting and painful this process can be.

What troubled me the most about their decision was not so much the expense and discomfort, but how Christine would be affected if the process was not successful.  Typically, I began my worrying immediately.  I'm a mom - that's part of my job, right?

My daughter is one of those women who have very strong maternal instincts and her greatest wish has always been to have a child of her own.  She is a very determined young lady and Jason is a very quietly determined young man.  Christine set her mind in a positive space and let no one intrude with negativity, just as she did following Jason's diagnosis.  She set a path that the rest of us would follow and support one hundred percent.