Joclynn

Joclynn came to JFLA in 2018 after a physician found that one of her fallopian tubes was blocked and unblocking it would cause further harm. Joclynn had her heart set on being a mother and wouldn't accept this answer as defeat. After more appointments and research, she found that IVF would give her the strongest chance of getting pregnant. However, the upfront costs shocked her. She felt like a cartoon animal, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. On top of the IVF costs, she also needed to have a procedure to check her uterus. It was at that appointment where she saw a flyer for Feit 4 KidZ, snapped a picture of it, and considered researching it after her visit.

Within three weeks of that doctor's visit, Joclynn had completed a loan application, was approved, and had the money in hand! "Most people don't have that kind of money laying around. Even with healthy savings, I knew this was going to be an expensive journey." The hardest part of receiving the loan was finding qualified guarantors. It can be awkward to ask friends and family to co-sign on the loan, but her friends knew her and knew she would be able to pay the loan back in full without issue. Being a single mom by choice, Joclynn knew her motherhood journey would be emotionally and physically challenging, but she didn't need it to be financially tough too.

The JFLA loan immediately paid for egg retrieval and genetic embryo testing. Joclynn was then able to use her savings for the medications associated with the procedures.

After two years of trying without success to get pregnant, COVID happened. Joclynn, wanting to avoid going into debt, refinanced her condo. With the savings she was able to pull together (with the help of the JFLA loan), she was able to pay for a surrogate to carry her last viable embryo. She found her surrogate in April 2020, but with health concerns looming large, they decided to wait to implant until November 2020. In August of 2021, a perfectly healthy 8-pound, 7-ounce boy came into the world! With Ari in her arms, Joclynn's pregnancy journey was coming to an end, but motherhood was just beginning. She was relieved to start her role as mom debt-free. When Ari was 9 months old, due to careful financial planning and the money saved, they were able to move out of the condo into a home with a yard, offering plenty of space for Ari to play with his beloved trucks, ride his bike, and scooter.

Whenever anyone shares stories about infertility or pregnancy challenges, Joclynn is quick to mention JFLA and Feit 4 KidZ loan fund. Even though Joclynn still had repayments to make on the loan, the first GivingTuesday after Ari's birth, she donated to JFLA. Giving back to the organization that helped give her Ari was an easy decision. Over time, Joclynn increased her giving to automatic monthly donations, knowing that she could help families like hers achieve their dreams.