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1 3 | Friday, Ja n u a ry 1 3 , 2 0 1 7 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | w w w .insideH A LT O N .com O akville couple credits Province fo r first-bo rn by Nathan Howes Oakville Beaver Staff If not for Ontario' s new fertility program, Oakville' s Sarah Sabihuddin wouldn't be about to give birth to her first child. Launched by the provincial government in December 2015, the Ontario Fertility Program (OFP) helps reduce the cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF), making it more affordable for people with all forms of infertility, regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation or family status. One IVF cycle can cost more than $10,000, if paid for privately, in addition to the cost of drugs, an unaffordable price tag for many of the roughly one in six Ontario couples experiencing infertility, according to the provincial government. Because of the program, Sabihuddin, 31, and her husband, Khalid, 38, are expecting their child Jan. 28, the former' s birthday. "Having the success we've had, it' s just an incredible feeling. It's almost hard to believe after such a long journey, we got to this point. It' s actually going to happen," Sabihuddin said. "This program did really give us another chance. Without this program, a whole person wouldn't exist. It' s quite life-changing." The Oakville couple wed in 2011 and first attempted to conceive in 2012, but were eventually diagnosed with unexplained fertility - a "little bit of a catch-all diagnosis" after all tests were done for both of them, Sabihuddin said. A year of testing yielded no problems for the pair, as all results came back positive. "When you have that happen, you're in a category of unexplained fertility," said Sabihuddin. Following the tests, Sabihuddin and Khalid attempted an intrauterine insemination (IUI), which took place at the CReATe Fertility Centre in Toronto. In 2013-14, they underwent four IUIs and then two self-funded Thanks to a fertility program, Oakville's Sarah Sabihuddin, 31, and her husband, Khalid, 38, are expecting the birth of their first child on Jan. 28, the woman's birthday. | submitted photo IVF cycles in 2015 - all of which proved unsuccessful. An IVF involves retrieving an egg, fertilized by sperm outside the body and the resulting embryo is then implanted in the uterus. "At that point, we were going to quit because we had done years of treatment and we finished everything. IVF is the last stage of the recommendations from doctors," said Sabihuddin. "We were going to tell doctors we were done. We had exhausted all of our options, financially, physically, emotionally, everything." At that time, the clinic put their names on a wait list in anticipation of a forthcoming Ontario initiative, which became the OFP, she said. "They weren't sure what it was going to be, but told us to put our names on it. The Oakville woman was selected and approved for a funded IVF cycle through OFP in February 2016, just two months after its establishment. The couple started the process in March and became pregnant shortly after. "It was overwhelming for them to call us and say, `We think we can make this happen for you.' You're a little skeptical going in, but you're also hopeful. After three years of trying to conceive, the hope never goes away," said Sabihuddin. "It was a very long journey because there was nothing saying, `You absolutely cannot ever have a child.' The hope of having that phone call opened up a whole new opportunity for us." This month Premier Kathleen Wynne marked the OFP' s first anniversary. It has provided funding to 6,500 people for in vitro fertilization and related services since it began. OFP has supported almost 4,800 patients with funded egg retrieval, embryology and fresh embryo transfer services, in addition to funding more than 1,700 IVF patients for frozen embryo transfers. There are 18 clinics in Ontario where patients can receive a funded IVF cycle. Improving affordability and access to reproductive health care is part of Ontario' s Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care. "Infertility can be an emotionally and financially draining experience. With this program, we are helping ease the financial burden for thousands of people and making it easier for people to start or grow a family," said Wynne, in a media release. "Children are our future. By creating a more reasonable and accessible fertility program, Ontario is supporting family building for those who need the assistance of IVF," said Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, adding the government is "pleased to see so many people embracing the Ontario Fertility Program in its first year." C A * 'D A nm m m v w eimme 150 CELEBRATION FREE M O U TH G U A R D S C U S TO M D o c to r^ T e e th $100 R e b a te 2 5 1 2 O ld B r o n te R d a t D u n d a s W e e k d a y s 1 0 -5 S a t 1 0 -3 " we m a fey o u foo^j/ood.,inside andout!" O ffe r valid fro m Jan ua ry 1 6 M a rc h 1 7 ,2 0 1 7 . when you purchase energy efficient Duette* honeycomb shades. WINDOWS - DOORS - COVERINGS Since 1 999 H unterD ouglas Gallery- 905.827.3331 D r. M a n c h a n d a fasada.ca ie.