Finding a path to parenthood

The process of diagnosing and treating infertility takes a physical, emotional and financial toll on everyone navigating this unpredictable process. Baby Quest Foundation is a national program providing financial assistance through fertility grants to those unable to afford the high costs of treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), egg and sperm donation, egg freezing, embryo donation and gestational surrogacy. 

“Infertility often cannot be predicted, and many are financially unprepared for the journey,” Baby Quest Communications Manager Lindsey Mickler said. “Since its inception in 2011, Baby Quest has awarded $3.6 million in funds with more than 250 grants resulting in more than 210 babies and counting.”

Lindsey and her husband Ron are Baby Quest grant recipients and today the parents of identical twin boys, Myles and Chandler. 

“We weren’t expecting to have issues, but we weren’t getting pregnant and discovered we had both male and female factor infertility. Our only option to conceive was IVF,” Lindsey says. “Affording nearly $20,000 for treatments, including medications, was going to be very difficult without going into debt. We applied for a Baby Quest grant in the fall of 2014. Receiving the grant allowed us to move forward with IVF and our twins were born in December 2015.”

Afterward, Lindsey kept in touch with Baby Quest founders Pamela Hirsch and Nicole Lawson, helping with publicity to spread the word about Baby Quest’s mission to help fund as many families as possible experiencing infertility and unable to afford treatment.

After working for Baby Quest in many capacities for more than 9 years, Lindsey joined the team full-time in January and has placed much of her focus on Ohio, connecting Baby Quest with local clinics and offering support services and education about IVF and other infertility options.

“We want to let people experiencing infertility know that there is light at the end of this tunnel,” Lindsey says. “There’s so much information to understand and avenues to pursue, and Baby Quest can be a support financially, of course, but in every other way along this road.”

Baby Quest has partnered with related companies to provide additional benefits and support services. These include wellness brands like Perelel, pediatric nutrition companies such as Enfamil, surrogacy agencies like Abundant Beginnings Surrogacy and others in support like SeedTrust Escrow, EMD Serono, Alto Pharmacy and Brides For A Cause.

No family’s baby journey is the same, and the high costs associated with infertility often force the journey to end. Here’s how you can help:

• Donate directly to Baby Quest Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with little overhead (no salaried employees). Nearly every penny you give goes to grant recipients.
• Contribute online at BabyQuestFoundation.org or mail a check to: Baby Quest Foundation 149 S. Barrington Ave. #112 Los Angeles, CA 90049
• Donations can be made via stock transfers and through participation in a matching funds program if one is available at your place of employment.
• Corporate sponsors can host educational luncheons featuring a Baby Quest representative speaker. 

Baby Quest grant recipients reflect the diversity of the country. The grant application review board is made up of medical professionals, legal and financial experts, and other fertility advocates who take every aspect of an applicant’s background into consideration.



“Singles, couples and the LGBTQ community are all considered,” Lindsey says. “There’s no one way to parent and we welcome everyone in search of help.” 

For more information on Baby Quest Foundation donations and grant applications, visit BabyQuestFoundation.org.