As many of you already know, Dave and I have been told that we aren't able to have children naturally. At 26 and 30, this is not news we were expecting. Recently married, excited to start a family, we naively assumed that we would become parents within a year. Didn't quite go to plan! We have had 18 months of hell on earth, with two operations in 6 weeks, 4 months off work, unprecedented emotional instability and fighting for every appointment possible. However, we are now at a point where we are about to embark on our IVF journey and are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I feel incredibly lucky that we live in an area that has IVF funded by the NHS, as there are many people that I have spoken to through my blog and on IVF and infertility forums, that just don't have the money to fund their need for a child. However, as many of you will have seen on the news recently, there are discussions and plans to cut IVF funding even further, in 46% of CCG's in England. This means another huge percentage of infertile couples, may have their dreams of being parents shattered. A rant, I shall not go into!

I have been given copious amounts of support and guidance through the NHS, especially the hospitals that I have received my operations and diagnosis through - The South Tees Hospital Group, namely, The Friarage and James Cook University Hospital. It is down to the staff and the research in these hospitals, that I am beginning to allow myself to think I could actually become a Mum. As a result of this, I find myself sat here, constructing my JustGiving page!

In order for IVF to have it's best chance of success, both myself and Dave need to be as fit and as healthy as possible. As most of you who know us already are aware, I enjoy food wayyyy too much and love nothing more than chilling in the hot tub with a glass of wine and some type of snack. It's all well and good me saying, "I will do it", but I need something to work towards to make sure I stick to it. So here I am.

I have signed Dave and I up to the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge (I'm sure he'll thank me later!) which will take place on 14th October 2017. We will climb three mountains, one after the other, in just 12 hours (what have I done?!). This is something that we have never done before, the furthest we walk to is the pub in the next village! The last time we walked Roseberry Topping I cried and had a meltdown halfway up, so this is certainly going to be a challenge.

I have chosen this particular challenge, due to the nature of why we are raising money and awareness of Infertility. The fact that once you think you have conquered one part of your journey, there stands another mountain in your way. It is so important to talk about Infertility and abolish this ridiculous connotation that it is a taboo subject and something to be ashamed of. I am not ashamed and I will not be ashamed, I will become a parent one way or another and will be shouting about the cause for a long time yet.

Please donate any amount that you possibly can, to help raise money for the Reproductive Medicine Department at James Cook University Hospital. This money will go towards research and trials for infertility and help keep NHS funding for IVF in the North East.

To follow our Infertility journey, find us at https://www.facebook.com/infertilemyrtle11/

Thank you,

Toni and Dave Muir x