Couple Never Gave Up on Dream of Miracle Baby

Rachel and her husband Joe tried for months to get pregnant. Rachel at 38 and Joe at 40 knew that it might be hard but had no idea how much the odds were against them. With no luck getting pregnant on their own, they went to see a fertility specialist. Both Rachel and Joe were tested to see if there were any issues with their sperm or eggs that might be causing infertility. Rachels eggs were healthy, but they were shocked to find out that Joe’s sperm count was zero. They were told they could not have a baby and to look into adoption. 

Heartbroken by the news, the couple felt they were out of options until they were referred to a urologist. The urologist suggested Joe try HCG injections (human chorionic gonadotropin) which are given as an injection under the skin or into a muscle. It can help treat male infertility by triggering the production of testosterone and sperm. It can be used as an alternate option to testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for men who want to preserve their fertility. The course of the injections lasted six months with a shot given to Joe three time a week. Even though it was a challenge both physically and financially, the couple knew they would regret not moving forward if there was a chance to have a baby. 

After Joe’s shots were finished, Rachel went through in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and hormone injections to prepare her body for the best chance at getting pregnant. Hormone injections are a key part of IVF treatment, which uses hormones to help mature multiple eggs for retrieval. The types, dosages and frequency of injections vary based on a patient's medical history, age and response to past IVF cycles. Rachel already ate a healthy diet and exercised. She took vitamin supplements suggested by her doctor and hoped for the best. 

The couple had a procedure at the same time, on the same day where Rachel’s eggs were retrieved, and Joe’s urologist attempted a testicular sperm extraction (TESE). Testicular sperm extraction (TESE) is a procedure where a urologist makes a very small incision (surgical cut) in the scrotum (the pouch of skin holding the testes). They will look at the testes using a tiny microscope and remove small pieces of tissue from the testes. Then, the urologist will close the incision with stitches. 

Egg retrieval is a medical procedure that removes eggs from a woman's ovaries for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Ultrasound images are used to guide a long, thin needle through the vagina and into the follicles, to harvest the eggs. The eggs are then fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. 

After a long day in the hospital together, the couple received the heartbreaking news that although Rachel’s eggs were healthy, they were not able to recover any of Joe’s sperm. They were devastated once again. 

But the story doesn’t end there. The couple got an unexpected call letting them know that there was a pocket of sperm that the doctors were able to use and produce three embryos. But, after genetic testing, only one embryo was healthy enough to implant into Rachel’s uterus. The couple had just one shot at getting pregnant, and that shot only had a 20-30% chance of working. While they waited to see if they were pregnant, they continued to have questions about Joe’s health. Why was his sperm count so low and what was the cause? 

During Joe’s procedure, the urologist took a tissue sample from him. The tests from that sample revealed that Joe had Sertoli cell-only syndrome, also known as germ cell aplasia or del Castillo syndrome. It is a genetic condition that can cause a zero sperm count in men. They finally had answers as to the source of Joe’s infertility. 

After weeks of waiting and during the week of Rachel’s 40^th birthday, they found out they were having a baby. After a healthy pregnancy, Rachel gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. They credit their kind and caring urologist with helping them expand their family. It took nearly a year of patience, resilience and almost $20,000 out-of-pocket to see their dream come true. 

Joe is now on testosterone because of his Sertoli cell-only syndrome. He sees his urologist every six months for a follow-up but mostly just to share the newest pictures of their miracle child.