A Decade of Waiting, a Lifetime of Miracles: One Patient’s IVF Journey to Motherhood

Physician: Dr. Gabriel Garzo
Treatment: In vitro fertilization (IVF)

Infertility was one of the most difficult and emotionally exhausting battles of my life. For almost ten years, I carried the quiet hope of becoming a mother, while enduring disappointment after disappointment. I began trying to get pregnant around the age of 30, filled with excitement and expectation. But as the months turned into years, that excitement slowly faded into fear, confusion, and heartbreak. I visited many doctors, tried multiple treatments, and prayed constantly for God to open a door for me. Nothing seemed to work. And although people meant well, not everyone understood what I was going through. At times, their opinions made the journey even heavier.

Still, as tiring as it was physically, emotionally, and spiritually, I never let go of the desire in my heart. Something in me kept believing that motherhood was meant to be part of my story. Everything changed the day I asked my OB/GYN, Dr. Anna Murphy, a simple but life-altering question: “If you had trouble getting pregnant, who would you go to?” I had seen many doctors by then, but she was one of the few who truly listened. She understood my frustration and my pain. Without hesitation, she told me about Dr. Gabriel Garzo. That moment was the turning point in my entire journey.

My first visits with Dr. Garzo, whether at Scripps, UCSD, or later in Redondo Beach, felt different from anything I had experienced before. He was compassionate, knowledgeable, and honest. Sometimes he told me things I didn’t want to hear, but I always trusted him because I could feel his integrity. He cared about my dream just as much as I did. With his guidance, and with Dr. Meldrum also involved in my care, I finally received the clarity I had been searching for: IVF would be my best chance at becoming pregnant. This was in the early 1990s, long before insurance provided any help for fertility treatments. The cost of IVF was overwhelming. I worked two jobs just to afford it, and it took everything out of me at times. The injections, the appointments, the uncertainty, and the constant emotional swings were enough to break anyone’s spirit. But when I think back now, I would do it all again because what I gained in the end was worth every sacrifice.

Through it all, the staff around me made a tremendous difference. I will never forget the nurse who held my hand during my final procedure. I don’t remember her name, but I will always remember how she made me feel safe, supported, and encouraged. Later, when Dr. Garzo opened his San Diego clinic, I worked closely with his nurses, Gabriella and Christina. They were patient, kind, and always willing to answer my endless questions. Their compassion touched me so deeply that when my twins were born, I named one of my daughters Kristina Gabriella in honor of them.

One moment from this journey remains especially vivid in my mind. On the morning of my final procedure, I had to be escorted into the hospital through a different entrance because protestors were gathered out front. It was stressful and surreal, but even then, the staff made sure I felt calm and protected. Their care never wavered, not once.After nearly a decade of waiting, hoping, crying, praying, and fighting… the miracle finally came.

I became pregnant. Not with one baby, but with twin daughters, my double-portion blessing. The same God who carried me through my darkest seasons was faithful in His timing. I delivered my girls just two months before my 40th birthday, a beautiful reminder that delay is not denial and that God is always on time.

Today, my daughters are thriving. Kristina works in the film industry and dreams of becoming a director one day. Davina is pursuing her doctorate in naturopathic medicine and will attend med school starting in the summer. Watching them grow into strong, gifted young women reminds me every day that miracles are real. Looking back, my infertility journey shaped me deeply. It strengthened my faith, taught me perseverance, and showed me the power of hope. It also taught me that people will always have opinions, some supportive, some hurtful, but your journey belongs to you alone. You must hold onto the dream God placed in your heart, even when others cannot see it.

Infertility treatments, especially IVF, can be expensive, emotionally draining, and physically taxing. I felt all of that. I cried many tears. I questioned myself. I asked God “why” more times than I can count. But standing where I am today, holding the blessings that came after the storm, I would spend every dollar again, take every injection again, and walk through every moment of uncertainty again.

My story is not just about infertility. It’s about faith. It’s about perseverance. It’s about divine alignment. And it’s about the promise that even the longest seasons of waiting can end in joy. If you are on this journey right now, still hoping, still praying, still waiting, please hear me when I say: don’t give up. Your miracle may be taking its time, but it is not out of reach. If God did it for me after ten long years, He can do it for you too.