‘Courtney Deady has poured over $100,000 into her dream of becoming a mother. Since beginning her in-vitro fertilization (IVF) journey in 2019, the Ohio native has endured endless medications, painful procedures, and countless doctor visits—each one a fresh wave of hope and heartbreak. The financial and emotional toll has been staggering.
“It can put you in a very, very dark place,” said Deady, 34, from Sidney, Ohio. “There were days where I thought I wasn’t going to make it.”
Then, in October, everything changed. Watching a Fox News town hall, she heard Donald Trump declare himself the “father of IVF” and pledge that his administration would ensure the federal government covered IVF treatments while mandating insurance companies do the same. For Deady, that promise sealed her vote in November.
Fast forward to this week: from his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump signed an executive order to protect access to IVF and drive down out-of-pocket costs for families battling infertility. The move sent shockwaves through the infertility community, with many celebrating what they see as a long-overdue victory.
“PROMISES MADE. PROMISES KEPT.” That was the message from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on X as she announced the executive order.
For Deady, this wasn’t just a political move—it was personal. “That makes me super excited. It means he held true to his campaign promise,” she said. However, as a patient advocate, she remains cautious. “Executive orders are just executive orders,” she noted, emphasizing that the real battle to make IVF more affordable is only beginning.
Ashley Owings, 35, another Trump voter from North Chicago, shares that sentiment. Owings, who started her IVF journey in 2013 and is now a mother to a 3-year-old son, knows the road ahead is filled with hurdles.
“For the President to see us, to acknowledge us, and to remind us that we don’t have to do this alone—it’s special,” she said. “Any help will be a blessing in the IVF and infertility world.”
But even as hopeful parents celebrate, looming legal battles over “fetal personhood” laws cast a shadow over the future of IVF. Conservative states are ramping up legislation that grants embryos the same rights as living persons—a move that infertility advocates say could have devastating consequences.
Barbara Collura, CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, warns that these laws raise serious concerns. “It opens up so many questions about the practice of IVF in a laboratory and what people can do with their embryos,” she explained.
Last year, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are legally considered “unborn children,” forcing lawmakers to rush through protections for fertility clinics and doctors. However, in many states with fetal personhood laws, similar safeguards don’t exist, leaving IVF patients vulnerable to legal uncertainty.
At least 24 states have laws that define personhood in ways that could impact reproductive care, according to the advocacy group Pregnancy Justice. In Ohio, where Deady lives, state law defines an “unborn human” as a Homo sapiens from fertilization onward. Though primarily written in the context of abortion, the wording raises concerns about future implications for IVF.
For Deady, these legal battles are deeply personal. After multiple failed transfers, she has just one remaining embryo in preservation. She’s unsure when—or if—she’ll attempt another transfer. Until then, she channels her energy into advocacy, volunteering for IVF patients, military families, and suicide awareness groups.
She also finds solace in her work as a substitute teacher for a second-grade class, where she sees hope in the bright eyes of her students.
“I don’t have one in my arms yet, but I do have children who count on me,” she said. “To know that I’m fighting for them without them even knowing… that’s my sense of purpose.”
