Cassandra’s Story

I have been walking the road of infertility for nearly ten years.

My first husband and I spent years pursuing treatments without success, and eventually our marriage ended. Later, God brought my now husband into my life, and he stepped into this journey with me with incredible strength and faithfulness. I have PCOS and, at 5’4” and 330 pounds, qualifying for IVF was a significant challenge. There were countless appointments, ultrasounds, blood draws, procedures, and prayers whispered in hospital rooms.

On December 19, 2021, after an IUI, I became pregnant with my first baby. We were overwhelmed with gratitude. But at 19 weeks and 5 days, I went into what I now understand was preterm labor. By the time I arrived at the hospital, I was already 10 cm dilated and fully effaced. There was nothing that could be done to stop what was happening.

Our beautiful son, Maxwell Curtis, was born on April 12, 2022, at 19 weeks’ gestation. He was born alive and perfect and lived for about an hour and a half in our arms. Those moments were sacred. Though his life was brief, it was full of love. We later learned that I likely have cervical insufficiency.

After losing Maxwell, we tried six more months of IUIs without success. Eventually, my doctor recommended bariatric surgery in order to qualify for IVF. I began the 18-month process and chose gastric bypass, praying that this step would open the door to the family we longed for.

On May 15, 2022, I underwent gastric bypass surgery with a goal weight of 209 pounds. By the following February, I had reached that goal and was able to proceed with egg retrieval. By God’s grace, the retrieval was successful, and we were blessed with three embryos.

On September 5th, we transferred one of those embryos — our precious daughter, Maisy Jolaine.

I was followed closely by Maternal-Fetal Medicine with frequent cervical length monitoring. The day before Christmas Eve, my cervix began to thin, and at 18 weeks I underwent an urgent vaginal cerclage placement. It was one of the most physically and emotionally difficult procedures I have experienced. Still, we trusted that God was holding us through it.

Despite every precaution, I went into preterm labor at 22 weeks. We were offered the option of a trial of life if she was born, and we chose to fight for her. We were able to delay labor for 48 hours, but ultimately I required an emergency C-section.

Maisy Jolaine was born on January 21, 2025.

She was incredibly sick but survived her first night. She fought bravely for four weeks in the NICU. Watching her fight strengthened our faith in ways I cannot fully describe. Ultimately, bilateral brain bleeds took her life, and we said goodbye to our sweet girl on February 19, 2025.

Grief like this changes you. It refines you. It strips you down to what truly matters. Through it all, God has sustained us. My husband has been my rock — steady, faithful, and loving through every loss, surgery, and sleepless night. I see the Lord’s kindness in giving me a partner who has carried me when I could not stand on my own.

After losing Maisy, we pursued additional preventative measures. In August, I had an abdominal cerclage placed. In October, we transferred another embryo.

Today, I am 28 weeks pregnant with our third child — a sweet baby boy Mateo Bradley.

This season is tender. It holds both deep grief and fragile hope. We are trusting that with the abdominal cerclage and close medical monitoring, the Lord will allow us to carry this little boy safely earthside. We pray daily for protection over him and for peace over our anxious hearts.

Maxwell and Maisy will always be part of our story. They made me a mother. Their lives mattered, and they continue to shape our faith, our marriage, and our understanding of love.

We walk forward carrying both sorrow and hope, trusting that God is near to the brokenhearted and faithful in every season.

Thank you for reading our story.