IVF FUNDRAISER
Supporting others, to achieve their dreams to have their own baby through IVF, a little bit about why I’m doing it below. As of the 26th January 2021, we have raised £5000 for Round 1, which is amazing, and really shows that people will come together to help others.
A little bit of why I set the page up:
I found myself on what I can only describe as a roller-coaster of emotions, failures and almost cost me my marriage journey several years ago to have the family I so longed for.
I underwent four rounds of IVF, which started in 2013 and finally ended in 2014 when I had a simple procedure on the NHS to unblock my tubes and have thermal destruction of endometriosis, which I was not aware was even the issue of why we wasn’t falling pregnant. I was told that myself and my husbands chances of falling natural were extremely slim and that IVF would be the best move for us. We hit the National headlines in the Daily Mail and local papers in 2016 when we made the decision to speak out about our story, to raise awareness, as looking back now if I had fought my battle with the NHS to have thorough investigations carried out we would not be £21K+ out of pocket. We were not entitled to any funding through the NHS as my husband had a child already from a previous relationship, and the criteria in Essex is strict and do not allow any other children in either sides past, so our only option was to self fund our treatment.
After 4 failed rounds, using two different clinics, we were finally given our happy ending, when I discovered in Nov 2014 that I was pregnant, with our son Alfie, who is now 2 years old.
The cost to go through the treatment was very expensive, but we were in a good position that we paid for two rounds ourselves and our parents both supported us with a round each aswell. I for one would have kept going and going and to be honest would probably have sold my soul to have a baby of my own or our home.
I understand that many people require IVF to have their own family or extend their current family set up, and with the NHS making further cuts, soon there will be no money to support this treatment. I would like to try to help at least one couple if not more to have their dreams come true as well, so I am going to be crowdfunding to raise enough money to support a round of treatment.
We will use my own business to get the word out there and when we are near the target I have set, we will then set about to find a couple to help, who do not have the funds or access to help and support from family and friends to undergo treatment. I will create packs of chocolates which I will sell on my site, and part of the proceeds will be given to this justgivingpage, full details of amounts will be clearly published.
If everyone I know on my Instagram page gives just £1.00 we would be able to raise a massive £108K, which would actually pay for approx 20 rounds, just think how many people who could have their happy ever after.
I thank you for reading my story and why I want to help others and keep my fingers crossed that with the power of social media we can all help each other.
Funding 1: Funding has been allocated now, the couple who accepted the money did have a positive test at the start of their journey, but unfortunately when they went back for their scan, the sac was empty. They did pay for a package that allowed another round to take place, so we wish them all the best and hope to hear from them soon with news to celebrate.
Funding 2 – The Just Giving page is now closed, we will look again in 2023 to start again.
Sarah
Who else has received monies from us:
We would like to share all of the other wonderful Charities and causes we, as a Company have supported since the start as well, just to share we are not just about making Chocolate and sweet treats, we like to support others in need as well.
Giving back to people is incredibly important to us here at Sarah’s Creative Kitchen / Sarah’s Chocolate Kitchen, and we see it as a vital part of our ethos to support charities as and when we can. As many of you know, we found ourselves in a situation earlier in 2020 where we had to ask for help, and our lovely customers and followers stood together with us to support us in our hour of need. .
There have been numerous charities we have supported, with lots of different causes from IVF treatment, childhood cancer, food parcels, as well as pregnancy and infant loss… and more.
We thought we would take a look back at the charity support we have given over the last few years, and wanted to share it with you all 🧡
Since starting the business in Jan 2016, we have personally donated, from the business a total of £6,792.60 out of our business account to the following Charities and great causes:
- British Heart Foundation – £793.50
- Blood Cancer – £20.00
- Beaumond House – £15.00
- Claire House Children’s Hospice – £445.00
- Our own IVF funding from sales of our discs – £3780.36
- National Autistic Society – £190.00
- Sands – £50.00
- Centre Point – £100.00
- Imperial Health Charity – £15.75
- Cancer Research – £50.00
- The Little Princess Trust – £110.00 – Sarah also chopped her own hair and donated to the charity for a wig
- Packed with Smiles (a food donation made at the start of March 2020 lock down) – £500.00
- Pink Ribbon – £156.00
- Tommy’s – £28.00
- Lost Stock Box – £38.99
- Love Soup Kitchen – providing meals to families and homeless – £500.00
This is just the money direct from our business, we then have the Just Giving pages we set up and ran lots of charity events and raffles and these included:
Rachel’s Raffle – to support Rachel Clements, who was a very popular blogger on Instagram, the money was donated to her to pay off her mortgage to secure the home for her children when she passed away – £3085.00 – this involved so many small businesses supporting this charity fundraiser with donation raffle prizes. CLICK HERE to read her amazing story and bitter fight until her final days.
Our own IVF page (detailed in full above) – so not only the money listed above from direct sales of our own products, we also raised a further £2583.50 from running events and raffles again. The first £5000 was donated in 2019, and the couple had their treatment early 2020, but unfortunately after a positive test at their first early scan, at their next scan the sac was empty, which was so upsetting for the couple and us as we really felt so much joy that it had worked, and we had been part of this.
A grand total of £19,253.70 had been donated, made up of £6,792.60 directly from our Business (as mentioned at the top) and £12,461.10 in Charity Support payments has been raised by Sarah’s Creative Kitchen Limited from 2016 until today by our kind followers and supporters! and you have all been part of that journey with us.