BOUNTIFUL — Megan Worthington has a strong desire to have a baby and is eager for her husband to step into the role of father, which she believes he would excel at.
However, their journey hasn’t exactly been easy. Since 2022, they’ve been navigating the ups and downs of in vitro fertilization, a costly process that has raised concerns about how to manage expenses.
To help out, her sisters-in-law suggested launching an online fundraising campaign.
“I usually handle things by myself and don’t often ask for help, but this felt like a viable option to gather some funds for our treatments,” Megan, from Bountiful, shared. “We’ve been looking at interest rates since we thought about a second mortgage, but this seemed like a good alternative.”
The Worthingtons created a GoFundMe account, initially setting a goal of $8,000.
They aren’t the only ones. From 2011 to 2015, over 1,600 GoFundMe campaigns were established specifically for IVF funding. The platform has reported that more than $3 million has been raised collectively for these causes.
While GoFundMe doesn’t release a state-specific listing of IVF campaigns, they confirmed that couples from Payson, Springville, and American Fork have also sought funds through similar campaigns.
This anxiety about funding is understandable given the high costs involved. The average expense for a single IVF cycle in the U.S. ranges from $15,000 to $30,000, according to Stanford for Economic Policy Research.
Most insurance plans do not cover fertility treatments, which means that couples often have to find creative ways to secure significant amounts of money.
Compounding the difficulty of IVF is the lack of guaranteed success. Couples can undergo multiple cycles—creating and implanting embryos—without a promise that they will ultimately conceive.
Despite these challenges, the Pew Research Center has noted a steady increase in women utilizing IVF services, even as expenses rise. They estimate that roughly one in ten women in the U.S. aged 15 to 44 have sought some form of fertility assistance.
Research from Pew and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also linked the trend of women having children later in life to increased use of fertility treatments, revealing that one in 42 U.S. births results from IVF.
In Utah, where larger families are more common, accessing fertility treatments can be especially challenging. Many women, including Worthington, have expressed feelings of frustration, along with moments of self-doubt, sometimes feeling misunderstood by those around them.
This journey can be emotionally draining for couples, and physical toll can be significant for women. Support from friends and family is crucial, along with exploring alternative parenting options.
“I genuinely want my husband to experience all the stages of pregnancy—like hearing the first heartbeat and feeling the kicks,” Worthington wrote on her GoFundMe page. “I want to offer that wonderful, life-creating experience before we reach 40.”
Worthington has a 13-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, and she has seen her husband embrace their child as his own. They’ve also considered adopting through the foster system.
Ultimately, they desire to be parents. Despite the hurdles, they are determined to reach that goal. For now, their focus is on raising the necessary funds and seeing where that leads them.
“I think I can only handle this until I’m 40,” Worthington said. “We’ll keep pushing until then. My sisters-in-law have been incredibly supportive, suggesting things like garage sales. I believe the GoFundMe could be really helpful. This decision was a bit spontaneous, made just a month ago, and it’s been quite a whirlwind.”
