Artwork by Melissa Dinwiddie, loan recipient.
As cliche as it sounds, the second I turned 35, I began to hear my biological clock ticking. As a single, middle-class woman I was not yet ready to start my own family, but when the right time came, I wanted to be prepared.
Many of my friends were on their second or third pregnancies, and some were struggling emotionally with infertility. I was also feeling hyper-aware of the challenges of conception from the many headlines plastered across the covers of women’s magazines catered to pregnancy “issues.”
It was at this time that I decided to pursue freezing my eggs. I finally mustered up the courage to have a consultation with an endocrinologist at a well-known reproductive center. It was an extremely emotional two hours, especially as a single woman. Nevertheless, I decided to move forward.
It wasn’t until after the consultation that a new anxiety set in: how was I—a single, middle-class woman—going to pay for this? I was funding a pipe dream, a back-up plan. A very expensive one!
A friend suggested that I contact Hebrew Free Loan. I went to the website and immediately felt inspired. I began the application process soon after. It was surprisingly easy and streamlined. I felt supported during this emotional time and am beyond grateful to the entire team for supporting my dream. Because of Hebrew Free Loan, I was able to finance something that had initially seemed unattainable for me.
*For privacy purposes, the loan recipient’s last name is not included.
