Finding Hope After Years of Heartbreak: Laura & Dave's Story

In this article:

• Meet Laura & Dave
• Finding Each Other
• The Unexpected Loss That Changed Everything
• Starting Fertility Treatment
• Waiting for the Right Moment
• Will our one embryo make it?
• The Rollercoaster of the Two-Week Wait
• Finding Strength Along the Way
• Reminders for Fellow Fertility Warriors
• Life With Weston
• Why They Share Their Story

Meet Laura & Dave

After a devastating miscarriage and more than a year of unsuccessful attempts to conceive, Connecticut couple Laura and Dave found themselves facing the unexpected: a diagnosis of unexplained infertility.

What followed was a long and emotional journey through multiple fertility treatments, heartbreaking losses, and one very special embryo that defied all odds.

Finding Each Other

Laura and Dave’s love story began thanks to a persistent friend. As part of a wedding party, the friend insisted the two would be a great match — and after walking down the aisle together, Laura and Dave quickly hit it off. They've been inseparable ever since.

Both born and raised in Connecticut, the couple shares a love of travel, exploring new cities and restaurants, and making the most of life’s adventures.

Before their lives became centered around fertility treatments and pandemic lockdowns, Laura enjoyed taking Bar Method classes and spending time with friends.

The Unexpected Loss That Changed Everything

The couple began trying to conceive in January 2021.

A few months later, they were thrilled to learn they were pregnant. But at their 12-week scan, the ultrasound technician delivered devastating news: their baby had stopped growing at around 8 weeks.

To add to their heartbreak, Laura’s body hadn’t recognized the loss. “I felt like my body had betrayed me,” she remembers. “There were no signs. I had no idea anything was wrong until that ultrasound.”

She opted for a procedure called dilation and curettage (D&C). "Since my body hadn’t let go [of the pregnancy] for four weeks already, I didn’t want to wait any longer, nor did I want to risk taking a pill that might not work," she says. "After the procedure, I just felt empty.”

They decided to keep trying to conceive, bolstered by reassurances that since they’d gotten pregnant once, it would likely happen again. But after six months with no success, they turned to Illume Fertility.

Photos: Dave & Laura pre-baby; newborn Weston; 1st birthday smiles

Starting Fertility Treatment

In 2022, Laura and Dave began working with Dr. Shaun Williams at Illume. After they completed an in-depth testing cycle, they were given a frustrating diagnosis: unexplained infertility. In other words, the tests hadn't revealed a clear reason for their fertility issues.

They began treatment with three intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles—two that ended in chemical pregnancies—before moving on to in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Their first egg retrieval yielded eight eggs, but after the natural attrition process and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), those eight eggs had dwindled down to just one genetically normal embryo.

“Dr. Williams called it a ‘slow grower,’” Laura recalls. “He said it could result in a healthy pregnancy—or it could end in miscarriage. There was no way to know.”

Waiting for the Right Moment

The couple faced multiple canceled transfer cycles due to Laura’s body not being hormonally ready, and their second IVF cycle, though it produced over 30 eggs, led to a devastating outcome: only one blastocyst, which turned out to be triploid and not viable.

With insurance coverage exhausted and only one frozen embryo remaining, all they could do was wait—and hope.

That microscopic embryo — frozen in November — sat waiting for months until Laura’s body was finally ready. "We didn’t transfer until the following July, and that waiting period was excruciating," she recalls. "Cancelled cycles, more testing, more disappointments, but Dr. Williams insisted that we wait for the right timing, and I’m so thankful for that now."

What is IVF attrition?

A fertility doctor explains whether losing eggs and embryos during fertility treatment is normal and what to expect at age stage after an egg retrieval.

Will our one embryo make it?

Determined to make their embryo transfer day feel special, Laura opted for laser acupuncture at Illume and treated herself to a superstitious classic: McDonald’s fries post-transfer. "If you know, you know," she laughs.

She decided not to take any pregnancy tests during the two-week wait, instead asking the universe for a sign. "I literally asked for a deer to run in front of my car," she says. "I know it sounds wild, but I needed something big—something bold."

The very next morning, it happened. "Thankfully, I had time to stop, but my heart skipped a beat. It felt like the universe had answered."

The Rollercoaster of the Two-Week Wait

Then came the beta hCG test results. Her numbers didn’t double as her Care Team had hoped, and Laura and Dave braced themselves for another possible loss.

Devastated and finding it too difficult to return to Illume for ongoing monitoring, Laura continued her testing at a local lab instead. The numbers rose, but slowly—and concerns about a potential ectopic pregnancy surfaced.

Finally, an ultrasound at Illume was scheduled. "Dr. Cynthia Murdock did the scan. She looked at the screen and said, 'He’s there.' I burst into tears," Laura remembers. “I had convinced myself this would all end in heartbreak. But he was there. Against all odds, he was there.”

That one little embryo—graded 6CB and once considered a long shot—became their son Weston, born March 24, 2024. "He's proof that embryo grading alone doesn’t define who you become," says Laura. "He is absolutely perfect."

Finding Strength Along the Way

When things got hard, Laura leaned on those around her. "Honestly, I wish I had done more," she admits. "I was really stuck in how I felt. But I talked. I told anyone who would listen what I was going through. Not for pity — just to make the experience feel less shameful."

And she quickly learned how many others had been through something similar. "Everyone knew someone who had miscarried, or had been through IVF. It made me feel less alone."

She also found comfort in listening to other fertility patients share their stories on TikTok. "I’m sure my nurse at Illume was tired of all my questions," she jokes. "But hearing what other people tried helped me feel more informed and less isolated."

Reminders for Fellow Fertility Warriors

Laura's best advice? Be gentle with yourself and your partner throughout the process.

• Be patient: "Even though that’s the opposite of who I am," she says. "I had to tell myself that I was doing the best I could."
• Communicate: "Reach out to your partner — they might be trying to be strong for you, but they’re allowed to feel broken too," she shares.
• Accept your emotions: "Let yourself feel everything; infertility is hard! It’s okay to be jealous, it’s okay to not feel like yourself — just try to find your way back to who you are," Laura says.
• Reach out for support: "It’s okay to leave the clinic, get in your car, scream, cry, and then call your mom," she adds. 

Photos: Weston's 1st birthday; meeting Dr. Williams at Illume Fertility

Life With Weston

Today, Laura and Dave are busy soaking up life as a family of three. "We’re not pursuing more treatments," Laura says. "If it happens naturally, that would be amazing. But for now, we’re just enjoying Weston."

She still reflects on the pain of their journey, noting how family-building plans and expectations often shift once faced with infertility. "It’s wild how you go from saying, 'We’d love at least two kids,' to praying for just one," she says.

Looking back, Laura says one thing is certain: "Sometimes, it takes a village to have a baby — and we are so thankful ours included everyone at Illume. They'll forever be an important part of Weston’s story."

Why They Share Their Story

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infertility affects 1 in 6 people worldwide, yet many still face it in silence. By sharing their story, Laura and Dave are helping to break down those walls and remind others that there is no shame in struggling to conceive—and no weakness in needing support.

“Talking about what we went through made the experience feel less shameful,” she says. “If sharing our story helps even one person feel less alone or less afraid to ask for help, it’s worth it to us.”

Additional Resources

If you're looking for support or want to learn more, here are some great next steps:

• Explore our Patient Story Library for hope and inspiration
• Visit our NIAW Resource Hub to find support or get involved in advocacy efforts
• Join Illume for an upcoming community event or educational workshop
• Watch our Ask Monica Q&A Series for expert insights on fertility