We are Jordan & Mara, two 30-something newlyweds who are excited about the next chapter of our life together — starting a family! As a lesbian/queer couple, there are a lot of steps to take before we can bring a child into this world.

The financial component of the fertility journey is huge — buying sperm costs nearly $1000 per vial, and multiple vials can be necessary in order to get pregnant. And that is just the sperm, the cost of IUI (intrauterine insemination) or IVF is even more.

Here’s where you come in. We are humbly asking for the support of our friends and family to help us begin this journey. It’s not easy for us to ask for money.

We have set up a Pledge It donation page that will allow us to take pledges for each mile that Jordan bikes in the next 3 months (June, July, August). We’ve set it up this way because we don’t want to be passive recipients but rather active contributors to this campaign. Moving our bodies is important for our physical and emotional well-being and is a passion that we share.

Thank you for reading and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. We’ll be using this blog to keep you updated on our journey and to share resources and information. You can reach us at: berdefam@gmail.com.