Indy family uses IVF to prevent polycystic kidney disease in first child

“We’re going to be parents,” Callie said with excitement.

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At nine months pregnant, the couple is anxious to welcome their first child—a daughter, but with that excitement comes a reminder of what could have been.

“Last year I was grieving from the loss of our first round of IVF and this year I will get to have our sweet baby girl,” she said.

They both know that in just a few short weeks, their lives will never be the same. It’s a welcome change for the couple who had to take several extra steps to become parents.

Callie became pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF), a decision she and her husband made to ensure their baby girl would be free of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).

“It is an autosomal dominant trait which can lead to kidney failure and complications later in life,” said Dr. Roohi Jeelani, a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist with Kindbody.

PKD is a genetic condition that results in cysts on the kidneys. Marcus was born with it after it was passed down to him from his paternal grandmother and father. He described growing up with the cysts as painful, especially when one burst.

The disease is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S., per the PKD-Free Alliance, which led to Marcus having two kidney transplants in his teen years.

“I had my first kidney transplant at I believe 15 or 16 years old and then I had another transplant at 18 years old,” he said.

“If your parent carries it, the likelihood of a child inheriting it is about 50%,” Dr. Jeelani said.

Knowing they didn’t want to pass it down to their children, Callie and Marcus decided to get pregnant via IVF, so they were able to screen the embryo for the disease ahead of time.

“We’re kind of weaning that gene out of the family line, I guess you could say,” Marcus said.

Callie echoed her husband, adding, “I just didn’t want her to have to go through what he has had to go through.”

While they’re glad their daughter won’t have the disease her father lives with, it has been an expensive process.

After going through two rounds of IVF, factoring in the cost of the medications Callie had to be on during the process, plus the PKD testing, the couple estimates they’ve paid nearly $60,000 out of pocket to have this baby.

They were fortunate enough to qualify for some grant money from the PKD-Free Alliance. It helped fund some of the testing as well as the second transfer of the embryo that took.

With just a couple of weeks to go until Hazel Sue makes her arrival, the couple is excited to spend this Mother’s Day finishing preparing for their healthy baby.

“[Callie’s] always been dreaming of becoming a mother and taking care of her own kids… so I think it’ll be exciting to see her become a mom,” Marcus said.

“Although she’s not here yet, I’m still a mother and I still have our sweet girl who we know won’t have to suffer and that’s the most important part,” Callie said.