Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is life-altering at any age. However, younger patients are often faced with potential reproductive challenges that require decision-making well before they are ready to start a family. For these patients, fertility preservation is a key part of their cancer treatment and ongoing care.

In 2017 at the age of 31, Sarah Eward received her first (of three) ER-, PR-, HER2+ breast cancer diagnoses. She was single and had just moved to a new city to be closer to her family. Sarah’s oncologist discussed fertility preservation via egg freezing—but without insurance coverage the $12,000 out-of-pocket cost was not in her budget. She decided to move forward with chemotherapy and a double mastectomy followed by radiation and reconstruction with implants.

What Sarah learned: There was a chance that Sarah’s cycle (which stopped completely during chemotherapy) would not return after treatment. Today, breast cancer patients may be offered injectable GnRH agonist egg-preservation medications (such as Lupron) to temporarily shut down the ovaries to protect them during treatment.

On Christmas Eve of 2019, Sarah was diagnosed for the second time. Still single and without insurance coverage for fertility preservation, she had additional lymph nodes removed and started chemotherapy again. 

What Sarah learned: There’s a greater risk of failure when frozen eggs are thawed and fertilized. Fertilizing “fresh” eggs with “fresh” sperm is more likely to yield more embryos.

Her second bout with breast cancer motivated Sarah to overhaul her lifestyle. She lost more than 120 pounds by eating healthy and walking every day. She recalls, “I got into the best shape of my life that year. I wanted to be healthy. I wanted to live!”

With this will to survive Sarah began dating again. “I thought dating was difficult before but dating during and after cancer is so hard!” Then, just as she was finishing her second course of chemotherapy, “I met a wonderful man online in December 2020, and Jarrod completely embraced my journey. He said he was looking for a strong woman, and he knew I was just that after everything I had been through.”

Jarrod was by Sarah’s side when complications from her breast reconstruction arose. In April 2021, Sarah underwent surgery to remove her implants , and a DIEP flap procedure was performed to reconstruct her breasts with tissue from her stomach. The three-phase surgical treatment took a year to complete.

A month after Jarrod proposed in November 2022, Sarah learned her cancer had returned for a third time. “I was devastated. I felt like all our plans for the future were destroyed because I was sick again. He stood by me, and we got married on January 4, 2023. It was an intimate ceremony on a Wednesday night in our living room.”

Now married with a shared desire for a family someday, the fertility preservation conversation was on the table. Jarrod added Sarah to his health insurance, “So we could have a chance at securing that future.” Sarah’s oncologist referred her to a fertility specialist and since her period had returned after treatment, she began the pre-retrieval hormone injection and monitoring process. The couple completed an egg retrieval that resulted in four embryos, however only one PGTA tested normal—before additional surgery to remove more lymph nodes, 16 rounds of radiation and 15 rounds of chemotherapy.

What Sarah learned: When you have cancer and need to start chemotherapy, specialists often take an accelerated approach to fertility treatments. Patients need to quickly decide if/how to fund their fertility preservation. Organizations like The Chick Mission can help with grants if you meet their criteria–and some states have now mandated insurance coverage for IVF in cancer patients. There are options, but it’s necessary to move swiftly. 

Since it’s necessary to wait one year after completing chemotherapy to transfer embryos, Sarah and Jarrod decided to do another egg retrieval in hopes to have enough embryos for two children down the line. Of the 11 embryos, six were PGT-A normal—however this testing is expensive and not covered by insurance. Sarah applied for and received a Family Building Grant from the Expect Miracles Foundation’s SAMFund to help cover the cost.

When the time came to transfer their embryos, Sarah and Jarrod were told they had reached their insurance’s lifetime maximum fertility benefits. Sarah received another grant from Worth the Wait Charity to help cover the $5,000 out-of-pocket cost—which did not include medications.

What Sarah learned: Applying for grants is a time-consuming process that requires a full breakdown of your finances. This includes prior-year tax returns, giving you another reason to file on time (because you never know if you might need them).

Healing complications from the previous lymph node removal required 18 long months to resolve and another tram flap surgery in January 2025. Then, a pre-transfer check-up in February revealed Sarah had three fractured (but healing) ribs and a partially collapsed lung believed to be caused by COVID months before. This postponed the embryo transfer for one month.

What Sarah learned: Due to her cancer history, Sarah undergoes diagnostic scans every six months. While pregnant, she would have to forgo MRI, PET and CT scans in favor of an ultrasound of her lymph nodes to ensure there was nothing suspicious. (Sarah is scheduled for a scan at her first check-up after she gives birth).

Finally, in March 2025 at the age of 38, the embryo from Sarah and Jarrod’s first retrieval was transferred—and the process was unaffected by her cancer history. “Our first child, our miracle baby, is due in November. My husband and I are so incredibly excited to be parents. It has been a long journey, but we have so much hope for the future—and a life with our baby boy.”

What Sarah learned: Sarah’s doctor suggested using the first embryo because she was younger and had not had as much chemotherapy at the time of retrieval.

As a breast cancer survivor, along with the joy of becoming a mother comes the stark reminder that breastfeeding is not an option after a mastectomy. Just weeks before her due date, Sarah learned she received a scholarship from The Breasties x Bobbie that provides a full year of formula. “When I look back at my journey over the past eight years, I’m overwhelmed by how far I’ve come. There were moments I wasn’t sure I’d make it here. Moments when hope was the only thing I could hold onto. To now be standing on the edge of motherhood, creating the family I once only dreamed about, fills me with a kind of gratitude and love I can’t even put into words. This next chapter feels like the light after a very long storm.”

What Sarah learned: New parents are eligible to receive a free breast pump and lactation support through the Affordable Care Act, but there is no support for women who cannot breastfeed because of a medical condition. This can feel deeply unfair for cancer patients, but organizations like Bobbie are working with lawmakers to change this. 

Sarah’s tips for fertility treatment:

1. It’s important to stay on top of your medication protocol. Keep track of how much you have and be sure to allow yourself a few extra days of supply. It can take a few days for medications to ship, and if you run out, you’ll need to restart your entire cycle.
2. Join local IVF Facebook groups. Women often share or donate extra medication when they are finished with their fertility treatment.
3. The First Time Mom Breast Cancer Survivors and Babies After Breast Cancer Facebook groups were helpful.
4. There are a lot of appointments, so a flexible work schedule is key.
5. A superstition in the IVF community is to wear warm socks and eat McDonald’s fries after a transfer!

We are so inspired by Sarah’s incredible journey and share her story with our community to provide hope. However, it's important to note that every patient's circumstances are unique and your medical team will always be the best place to determine your options.

To learn more about preserving your fertility and read more inspiring stories, visit the following articles on Stage Advice:  The Chick Mission on Fertility Preservation,  Pregnancy After Breast Cancer, and Surviving Breast Cancer and Becoming a Mom.