Big Things

One month from today I will defend my doctoral dissertation. The entire thing is written and is now going through a very thorough shredding also known as “revising.” I am very excited to be approaching this point. I began my doctoral studies just over 5 years ago. It was about 7 years ago I seriously started to think I’d be the type of person to go for a Doctorate after a Masters degree. It’s been a long hard road. Finishing is going to be huge.

Oddly though, getting my doctorate will not be the biggest thing I do in 2013. And trust me, there’s not much bigger than getting a doctorate.

Fifteen months into our marriage we became one of the 1 in 8 couples in the United States officially diagnosed infertile. Over the next almost two years I underwent many different tests and procedures as we attempted to both isolate the cause and find a treatment to overcome this medical condition. As you might imagine, it could make for a very long story. The results though are that it is primarily caused by my extensive endometriosis and the only way we’ve been able to overcome it is with in-vitro fertilization. And even then we’ve suffered two miscarriages and three failed attempts before getting to the point where we are at right now, expecting a baby girl the first half of July.

What an amazing world we live in that has such incredible medical advances that make our daughter possible. I will be forever grateful for the technology that gives our daughter the right to exist.

Which is why I have a hard time understanding how people like Arizona State Senator Ward can make comments like she does at 2:00 minutes into this clip.

KPHO: AZ Embryo Tracking Bill Moves Forward

Senator Ward and the other sponsors of Arizona State Senate Bill 1376 claim to be pro-life, but their actions could lead to it being illegal for others like our daughter to have life. Our daughter, who has a beautifully beating heart, who kicks more when she hears her dad talking when he gets home from work, had no right to be created according to these state Senators. I am pro-life, especially the life of my daughter, a result of in-vitro fertilization.

The wording of the bill is innocent enough. They want to duplicate the reporting already done to the CDC (and a little more) and then create a committee to study the need for more regulations on the creation of life. If they did not feel there was need to regulate it they would not need such a committee. The passage of this bill could potentially make it impossible for the siblings of our daughter to continue to grow. Earlier this month North Dakota considered regulations that would have made it impossible for our daughter to be on her way, regulations that went against the current research on in-vitro fertilization. The passage of this bill in Arizona could be a stepping stone to such regulations in this state.

Senator Gail Griffin is our state senator, and one of the sponsors of the bill. We are writing her and calling her office to let her know her constituents do not all support her actions and to tell her about the negative implications this bill could have on our family.

If you live in Arizona, please let your state senator know you do not support this bill (find your senator). If you do not live in Arizona, please contact our state senator and let her know her actions could negatively affect our family and the lives of our children. The senate vote on this bill could happen as early as next week.

Related:
– The effect of SB1376 on our family – 25 February 2013
– IVF – What it is, and why it isn’t the same as abortion – 27 February 2013
– Imagine your children – 1 March 2013
– Hope – 8 March 2013