The Footsteps For Fertility Foundation Story
Footsteps for Fertility Foundation was founded in 2013, but our story began at our first 5k race September 15, 2012.
My name is Serena Mackerell and I have been married to my husband, Travis, for five years. Coming from a family with the most fertile women you’ll ever meet, I never imagined it would take us four years to get pregnant. After a year of various doctor appointments, it was determined that we wouldn’t have children unless we got treatment for In Vitro Fertilization. While we were encouraged that there was still hope, we felt discouraged because the cost of IVF wasn’t something we could afford at the time or even three years later. By now it was year four, and my sisters, Holly, Laurel, and Alyssa, didn’t want us to have to wait any longer so they decided to take action.
One morning, they called me saying they wanted to put a 5 kilometer race together to raise money for me and Travis. I was a little reluctant at first when I thought about the privacy we might lose, but when they mentioned Utah Fertility Center would be donating a free cycle of IVF to a lucky random couple at the race, I realized this was a huge opportunity to help others and raise awareness.
While planning the race, my sisters crossed paths with Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation who gives grants to couples with infertility problems. We applied for the grant, and we qualified. Even though it appeared that our period of waiting was over, my sisters still wanted to go through with the race, and Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation decided to join forces in the planning. The inaugural Footsteps for Fertility 5K race managed to raise over $35,000 which was donated to Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation and allowed for four grants! (Not including the lucky couple who won the free cycle of IVF donated by Utah Fertility Center). As a direct result of that race, five couples had the opportunity to start their families, three became pregnant, and a total of five babies were born. The event was so successful that my sisters and I decided to make Footsteps for Fertility a non-profit Foundation and continue to “Help Families Grow”.
Footsteps For Fertility Foundation 