After spending roughly $75,000 on three rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF), Airdrie resident Trista Harrison is pleased to see the provincial government having conversations on how to better support those struggling to start their families.
“We just want to see Alberta move ahead and be a leader in this,” she said. “That's a really big, important step for fertility Alberta.”
Alberta is the only province that has yet to announce plans for fertility funding. Over the last several months, Fertility Alberta has met with the Government of Alberta and other stakeholders to raise awareness and understanding of the issue and the types of support, whether tax credits or funding, that can be used to advance fertility care in the province.
Harrison and her husband made the tough decision to go through fertility treatments in 2019 to try and avoid their child having a potentially life-threatening condition. After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple did three rounds of IVF starting in 2021.
Unfortunately, after every round of IVF, their embryos came back affected by the genetic condition. Costing as much as $20,000 per round for treatment, plus costs for medications, and genetic testing, the couple saved every dime for three years to avoid going into debt.
“We really pinched and saved and scraped together everything so that we could come out of it without debt, which is something that a lot of families cannot do,” Harrison said.
Financial stress played a big factor in their journey, she admitted, adding that going through three rounds of IVF without a pregnancy is mentally devastating.
The only financial support they received was filing some of the medical expenses under their federal taxes. Harrison’s work benefits provided her with a $4,000 maximum lifetime spend, which disappeared quickly as medications alone cost around $7,000.
“It's just a really wild journey, you want to become a parent so badly and you are trying to do everything in your power to do that,” she said, adding it’s a heavy load to carry.
She said she’s thankful for all the support, her health, and that she was able to see the light during times where her only focus was on the next appointment or the time of her next injection.
Once they took a break from IVF to reunite and focus on becoming a couple again, Harrison got pregnant naturally.
“It was a long road,” Harrison admitted. “My husband and I have had really hard conversations, which I think has made our relationship better, but it was a tough three years.”
Their daughter was born in May 2023, and while she has the genetic condition they were trying to avoid, Harrison said she’s healthy and thriving.
“We found out early that our baby was affected by the condition we were looking to avoid, but we could also be proactive then,” she said. “We got hooked up with all of the necessary medical people we needed in our lives and we got to really set ourselves up for success.”
Although their journey resulted in a happy ending, Harrison wishes fertility care was a more mainstream conversation.
“I would love to see this conversation not be a shock,” she said, adding they know more people struggling than not. “When you talk about your struggles and you talk about the things that you're going through, you quickly find a support system there and a circle of people who are also doing the same thing.”
There are several fertility clinics in Edmonton and Calgary, but people living rural don’t have the same access, she added. Harrison noted their clinic was extremely supportive and driven and hopes Alberta can expand on that.
“It would be interesting to see what would happen if there was increased funding and increased conversation,” she said.
In response to a recent announcement from the Government of Ontario to expand fertility services with a $150-million investment, Fertility Alberta Advocacy & Outreach Association continues to work with Albertans and the medical community to advance provincial fertility and family planning programming.
Support for fertility programming seems to be increasing across Canada. The Ontario government recently introduced a new tax credit to assist patients who don’t qualify for a funded cycle or require more than one round. The newly elected New Brunswick Premier promised a funded-cycle program, while the Conservatives in British Columbia campaigned on doubling the NDP’s already announced funded-cycle program. Similarly, the re-elected Saskatchewan Party announced a fertility tax credit while campaigning earlier this month.
“I think [Alberta] is in a really interesting spot, we can learn from others and make it better,” Harrison said.
Michelle Chidley, chair of Fertility Alberta said she believes Alberta is in a position to create a best-in-class program with the level of research and data now available.
One in six Canadians have infertility or other medically diagnosed conditions that make it difficult to achieve a successful pregnancy, states Fertility Alberta. The average out-of-pocket cost of IVF in Canada is $20,000, and many patients require two to three rounds to be successful.
According to a recent survey by Fertility Alberta, 74 per cent of Alberta patients who did not proceed with fertility treatments identified cost as the reason, while 50 per cent of those who underwent treatment required a loan to cover the cost.