How Lauren Turned Her Infertility Story into an Infertility Non-profit
Release Date: 08/26/2024
Building Military Families: Julie’s Journey from Loss to Community
This is Infertility
Guest: Julie Eshelman, Founder & CEO, Building Military Families Network Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Today’s guest always dreamed of building a family. But when she and her husband began trying to conceive, they faced years of unanswered questions and a string of devastating losses. Like many military families, Julie Eshelman’s journey was shaped not just by infertility, but by deployments, changing doctors, starting over in new states, and a healthcare system that doesn’t always recognize the unique challenges military families face in building a family. Julie...
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Building Family After Breast Cancer: A Broken Brown Egg AHA Grant Winner's Story
This is Infertility
Guest: Deniece and Gardy Delerme, AHA Grant Recipients Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Deniece discovered a lump that led to a stage two breast cancer diagnosis just days before her 33rd birthday. In today’s episode, she and her husband Gardy share their emotional journey navigating cancer treatment, fertility preservation, and the financial burden that comes with unexpected medical challenges. Faced with a fast-moving and shocking diagnosis, Deniece made the decision to freeze her eggs before beginning chemotherapy. That choice offered a sense of...
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Redefining Family: Choosing to Move On After Recurrent Loss
This is Infertility
Guest: Justine Galloway, Progyny Member Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Many of the stories we share on this show end with successful pregnancy, that’s the goal of family building, after all. But not every journey reaches that destination, and it’s important to shine a light on those stories. Sometimes the family building journey means embracing the family you already have and giving yourself permission to come first. Today’s episode features Justine Galloway, who is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. As an avid runner, diagnosed with...
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Sickle Cell Awareness Spotlight: Teonna’s Journey with Fertility and Advocacy
This is Infertility
Guest: Teonna Woolford, CEO & Co-Founder, SC RED Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Teonna had always known she wanted to have a lot of kids. At the age of nineteen, she discovered something that would change the trajectory of her life: she might be infertile due to sickle cell disease. Despite years of managing sickle cell, in and out of hospitals, doctor’s offices, and attending sickle cell conventions, no one had ever talked to her about the link between sickle cell and infertility. Unfortunately, fertility preservation was too financially...
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Fighting for Firefighters: Maia Brown’s Mission to Change Infertility Support
This is Infertility
Guest: Maia Brown, President of The Beltane Guild Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Firefighters face physical and emotional challenges at work, but what about when they’re facing challenges with fertility? In this episode we hear from Maia Brown, a firefighter paramedic and president of , a nonprofit dedicated to firefighter reproductive health. Maia shares her deeply personal journey, from discovering in the middle of paramedic school, to undergoing IVF, to realizing how little support exists for firefighters facing fertility and family building...
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From Pain to Purpose: Founding the Carlos Rodón Foundation
This is Infertility
Guest: Ashley Rodón, President of the Carlos Rodón Foundation Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny In this powerful and personal episode, Ashley Rodón, wife of Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón and President of the Carlos Rodón Foundation, opens up about their emotional path to parenthood. Ashley shares how her dreams of starting a family were met with unexpected heartbreak, multiple pregnancy losses, and the resilience to keep moving forward. From the devastation of her first miscarriage to the miracle of her daughter Willow, Ashley reflects on the highs and lows of...
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Fertility 101: The Basics of Genetics and Genetic Testing
This is Infertility
Guest: Jay Shaw, MS, CGC, Senior Product Manager, Fulgent Genetics Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny The Fertility 101 Series, because there’s no shortage of daunting terms to keep your mind running, is a quick and dirty breakdown on a specific topic with insights from a fertility expert. Today’s episode is a deep dive into the role of care and planning. We’re joined by Jay Shaw, a certified genetic counselor and Senior Product Manager at , who walks us through the basics and beyond when it comes to genetic testing. We start with a foundational...
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Beating the Odds: From Cystic Fibrosis to Fatherhood
This is Infertility
Guest: Dustin and Tequila Menken, Progyny Members at TE Connectivity Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny “I grew up with an expiration date.” Dustin Menken was born with cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that brought him lifelong health challenges and made him part of the 98% of men with CF who are infertile. He never imagined he’d live to see 40, let alone become a father. But with persistence, support from his wife Tequila and a critical fertility benefit from his employer, TE Connectivity, through Progyny, Dustin beat the odds. Again. In this episode,...
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UFCW Local 152: How Personal Pain Led to Life Changing Benefits
This is Infertility
Guest: Danny Ross, Jr., UFCW Local 152 President Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny Danny and Elizabeth Ross got married at 26, excited to start their lives together and hopeful about growing a family. When they started trying, they were met with a series of challenges that changed everything. Elizabeth was diagnosed with and . Danny had male factor infertility. After a year of trying to conceive, they were told their best option was . At the time, they had no fertility coverage. They started with . One attempt turned into two, then six, then thirteen....
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Fertility 101: Sperm with Dr. Turek: Everything You Didn’t Learn in Health Class
This is Infertility
Guest: Paul Turek, MD, FACS, FRSM, Founder of The Turek Clinic Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny The Fertility 101 Series, because there’s no shortage of daunting terms to keep your mind running, is a quick and dirty breakdown on a specific topic with insights from a fertility expert. When it comes to fertility, men are half of the equation, but too often, they’re the half that gets forgotten or overlooked. This Men’s Health Month, we’re joined by Dr. Paul Turek, a world-renowned urologist and male fertility expert, to talk all things sperm, from how it’s made...
info_outlineToday's guest is a testament to resilience, turning personal pain into a powerful purpose. Lauren Clements faced a long, difficult journey in her efforts to build a family, battling through a diagnosis of PCOS, blocked fallopian tubes, and undergoing numerous treatments. Yet, despite these significant setbacks, Lauren never lost hope.
In this episode, she opens up about how these challenges inspired her to create Chosen Infertility Group, a nonprofit dedicated to providing local resources, advocacy, and financial grants to those struggling with infertility in Detroit. Lauren's story is one of courage, perseverance, and a commitment to helping others find hope amidst their own.
Guest: Lauren Clements, Founder and President of Chosen Infertility Group
Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny
For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.