Fertility Preservation Toolkit

Thank you for your interest in our toolkits. Please read our Terms of Use carefully as we include information that applies to all our toolkits.

All toolkits are publicly available for individual use without licensing or royalty fees. Such use of toolkits is “single use,” meaning solely for the User’s research, clinical, educational, or other application. User’s email may be added to an email distribution list to receive scientific and updated information about the toolkit(s).

We encourage use of our toolkits. User agrees not to adapt, alter, amend, abridge, modify, condense, make derivative works, or translate toolkits without prior written permission from the Provider. User agrees not to sell or incorporate toolkits into materials that could be sold without prior written consent from the Provider. To inquire about permissions, please email info@a4fp.org.


Kelly’s Story

Default image

What is your current treatment state?
Finished all treatments

Did you undergo any fertility preservation treatments?
No, I considered it

Did someone on your healthcare team speak to you about the possible effects of cancer treatments on your fertility?
Yes

Who raised the topic?
A member of my healthcare team did

Was the information you received thorough and helpful?
No

When were you told that your fertility might be affected by your cancer treatments?
Before I started active treatment

Why did you not undergo fertility preservation?
I didn’t have time before treatment

Did you become a parent after cancer?
Yes, I became pregnant naturally

Kelly’s Story

I was diagnosed with a rare childhood brain tumor at 22 years old. I had extremely high doses of radiation to my brain and spine. Time between diagnosis, surgery and radiation beginning was approximately 1 month. Because I was an adult fighting a childhood cancer very little was, and still is, known about Medulloblastoma’s. The fertility conversation between my neurologist and I went like this…we can tack your ovaries out of the way of the radiation beam to preserve your eggs, but we really don’t have time to do so and I don’t think it’s necessary. It was a scary thing to think about at 22 (I was newly married) and really not given an option. About a year past and my periods had not returned so I was sent to see one of the “top fertility specialists” at John’s Hopkins. After a great deal of tests I was told that radiation had badly damaged my eggs and I would never be able to have children. I was placed on hormone replacement therapy as I was told I was going into menopause. I walked out of the office and told the doctor she was wrong, I would be able to have kids. I remained on the hormones for about 4 months when I couldn’t take the side effects and decided to discontinue using them. 4 months after that I became pregnant with my first child. My son, Blake, will be 10 next week. My daughter, Abby, was born 3 years later and turned 7 last month. I have learned through all I have been through that Doctor’s can be great tools, but no one knows you better than you do. Follow your instincts!!