Did you know that about 1 in 8 couples struggle with infertility issues? Maybe you did know that, but did you also know that there’s an annual contest in Las Vegas in which one lucky couple can win a free round of in vitro fertilization?
Whether you know all about it or have a hard time believing such a thing exists, you should make a point of getting to Red River Theatres next Tuesday (April 24) to see the one-day-only presentation of the documentary Vegas Baby.
The film, directed by Amanda Micheli and produced by Morgan Spurlock (of Super Size Me fame) takes a closer look at this somewhat bizarre contest, as well as the greater overall issue of infertility and the struggles that come with that.
“I think it’s the kind of topic that you don’t really know about it unless you’ve been through it yourself, and that’s why I decided to make a film about it,” Micheli said.
She and her husband were trying to have a child the natural way, but it wasn’t working. Eventually they got a diagnosis of male infertility, which led to the first round of IVF, which they paid for out of pocket.
That didn’t work either, but they soon got financial help from family and were able to conceive after another IVF effort. The whole experience made Micheli want to enter the conversation about the issue and try to educate people and end the stigma.
While infertility can be an extremely expensive ordeal for couples who want to have kids, the film is “more about the emotional cost of reproduction,” Micheli said. “It was when I was researching options for our second round of IVF that I heard about this contest. When I started watching people who applied for the contest, I felt sympathy for them. Unless you’re independently wealthy, it’s really out of reach for the average family.”
The film will be shown at Red River next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. A post-film discussion will be led by Kate Weldon LeBlanc, executive director of RESOLVE New England, a nonprofit serving the infertility community in the region. Tickets are $4 at redrivertheatres.com.
April 25, 2018
So many couples don’t have the funds to follow their dreams of creating a family. Medical care is extremely expensive in the US. Families concerned with the costs of overcoming fertility might well explore opportunities internationally, like in Ukraine, where services are high quality, but a fraction of the cost. Some agencies in the US offer international programs their, like Delivering-Dreams with guaranteed not to exceed costs and financing. Worth a look.