CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Last week Kyle and Samantha Busch’s son, Brexton, celebrated his first birthday.
What was supposed to be a small affair, turned into something so much more and after Samantha’s difficult pregnancy, this milestone for Brexton was extra special for Samantha and Kyle.
Now the couple are sharing their joy with others who are struggling to have children.
Jen Sullivan had tried in vitro fertilization twice unsuccessfully, and she and her husband didn't know how much more they could handle physically and emotionally.
“We thought at that point that our journey was over; that we just weren't going to be parents,” Sullivan said.
It was then the doctors at Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte, a fertility clinic in Charlotte, encouraged her to apply to the Kyle Busch Foundation’s Bundle of Joy Fund.
Their application was accepted. The next step was a meeting with Samantha Busch.
“I was on my way to work when I got the phone call to come in and talk to her, and I called my husband, and I just cried because I said somebody else believes in us. This can really happen for us,” Sullivan said.
Samantha Busch believes it can happen for others because it happened for her.
She and Kyle struggled to have a child.
“With Kyle and I being out in the public a lot everyone was like, “Why don't you have kids? Why aren't you pregnant? How come you're not like everyone else having a baby?” Samantha said.
Kyle and Samantha turned to IVF and Samantha documented each step of their journey on her lifestyle blog.
“It started as a therapy for me as we were going through it. I just wanted to write it down. I just didn't have anyone to talk to about it, so I was just going to write down what we were doing,” Samantha said.
The response was overwhelming. People from around the country wrote back and told Samantha about their own struggles with infertility and the pain and financial burden associated with IVF.
“As we saw the bills that came along with it, we need to do something more. This happened to us for a reason. We really prayed about it and just really felt like we're going to start this foundation to help people who can't afford the treatment,” Samantha said.
The Sullivans were recipients of one of the first Bundle of Joy Fund grants, but it was about more than the money. It was about two women having both been through the same challenges finding and helping each other.
“After the interview was over, Samantha and I just talked. We talked about the needles and how much fun this isn't,” Sullivan said.
“That's my thing, to have people start talking about it, so they don't feel alone or embarrassed because that's how I felt at least,” Samantha said.
The treatments were a success and now another Sullivan will soon be joining the family.
“It’s a miracle, truly. It’s been such a long journey for us to finally be at this stage, to have been through everything we've been through, it’s 100 percent a miracle,” Sullivan said.
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