Couples who struggle with infertility and can't afford the expensive out of pocket costs for in-vitro fertilization are increasingly turning to crowd funding to pay for the procedure, according to a GoFundMe spokesperson.
"It’s not covered under our specific insurance," said Jackie Earp, 27. "The IVF procedure can run anywhere between $20, 000 and 25,000."
Jackie and Chris Earp, both 26, got married more than two years ago. The Seminole couple recently wanted to start a family and found out they need IVF to conceive a baby.
"It is a common problem that couples face," Chris said. "Sometimes you don’t know it until you’re actually dealing with it yourself."
According to GoFundMe stats, 80 people set up IVF accounts in 2012. That number grew to 516 last year with more than 35,100 donations over the past three years. The Earps hope to raise $15,000 on the crowd funding website.
"We’ve raised a little bit over $1,000," Jackie said. "So, we’re still far away from our goal but every little bit helps."
The Earps hope to reach their goal over the next year.
"It’s a lot of money to raise," said Jackie. "So, if it takes longer, that’s totally fine."
For more on the Earp's GoFundMe go to www.gofundme.com/Jackieandchris
This Gofundme.com site is not managed by Bay News 9/News 13. For more information on how the site works and the rules, visit http://www.gofundme.com/safety.