Rebecca* is a wife, a mother, and a practicing Orthodox Jew. She is also among the 11 percent of women in the United States who have experienced infertility.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) often runs in families, with up to 70 percent of the daughters of women with PCOS also developing it. This is the story of a mother with PCOS who ended up having three children with the same condition - and how they handled it.

After decades of advocacy work in the fertility and family-building space, Illume Fertility's former Patient Advocate Lisa Rosenthal was recognized with a prestigious RESOLVE Hope Award.

According to newly released data from the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 6 people globally now experience infertility, meaning millions of individuals and couples all over the world are struggling to grow their families. In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, seven Illume Fertility patients opened up to share their own stories.

For those who struggle to grow their families, it's hard to imagine ever being able to conceive without the help of fertility treatment. But for some, a spontaneous, surprise pregnancy comes after infertility. Mayra shares her journey through infertility and what happened next.

As awareness around infertility and fertility treatment grows, many people are becoming more familiar with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). But what about all the other ways to make a family? While IVF is a great pathway to parenthood for many parents, it's not the only one!

Over the past few years, fertility treatment has gained some much-needed visibility. As public figures and celebrities share their stories of IVF treatment, surrogacy, PCOS struggles, and more, we see that willingness to share mirrored in our own community. Not only do patients seem to be more willing to open up to friends, family, and social media about their fertility or family-building journeys, but they are sharing the physical, mental, and emotional toll that may accompany these reproductive challenges.

In honor of Veterans Day, we asked Tyler and Crystal Wilson, who have worked tirelessly for necessary medical coverage for “wounded warriors” (military personnel injured in active service who have been denied fertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization), to use their voice as a shining example of how advocacy works. The Wilsons know, from their own personal experience, the pain and frustration of having injuries that make it impossible to have children without medical treatment due to active military service. Thank you, Tyler, both for your service to our country and to your fellow service people, regarding building a family after a debilitating injury.