Snowflakes Embryo Adoption

'She's the child we always dreamed of having'

Laura and Jeremy Butcher were still "in a haze of newlywed bliss" as they began to plan their future. But after learning that Laura had PCOS, a condition that kept her from ovulating, they grappled with the heart-renching knowledge that they may never be able to have children.

"We learned that our only chance of having a biological child was through in vitro fertilization (IVF)," Laura explains. "We tried 2 rounds, but the eggs stopped developing both times."

Their friends recommended they visit Advanced Reproductive Medicine at The University of Kansas Health System. After much conversation with each other and their physician, the couple decided snowflakes embryo adoption was the right option for them.

Established 20 years ago, the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption program allows families with remaining embryos to select a recipient family to adopt their embryos, with the hope they will achieve a pregnancy and give birth to their adopted child.

"The University of Kansas Health System is a preferred partner with Snowflakes due to our high success rates with embryo transfers," says Courtney Marsh, MD, MPH, reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist at The University of Kansas Health System. "Embryo adoption is a great option for women without uterine factor infertility."