Fertile Hope and Lance Armstrong Foundation join forces

When I was dealing with the double whammy of a breast cancer diagnosis and the prospect of impaired fertility as a result of my treatment, I visited the Fertile Hope website for advice and support. I was so impressed with what I found there that I vowed when I finished my treatment I would do all I could to make this kind of informnation, available to younger women in my own country. I co-wrote and published a patient information booklet, Breast Cancer and Fertility with the help of health care professionals with specialist knowledge in both breast cancer and fertility. (You can download a pdf of this brochure by clicking on this link or contact me  directly for print copies.) I also write a blog about my fertility struggles after cancer at the blog Diary of a Miracle

But back now to Fertile Hope, which I have just learned has this week become part of another organization which has inspired me in my advocacy efforts, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and so now we can expect even bigger things.

“The LAF has always felt strongly about the importance of awareness and education of fertility issues with regard to cancer survivors,” said Doug Ulman, President and CEO of the LAF. “We are happy to have this crucial element of caring for survivors under our umbrella.”

The LAF’s historical commitment to fertility combined with their infrastructure and resources make them the ideal partner to carry forward the Fertile Hope mission. The operational economies of scale are tremendous, which means donors’ investments in Fertile Hope programs will go further towards reaching the cancer community than ever before.

“The decision to pass along Fertile Hope – my life’s work and the organization that helped me fulfill my own parenthood dreams – was not made lightly,” said Lindsay Nohr Beck, two-time cancer survivor and Fertile Hope’s founder.

 Together the LAF and Fertile Hope can achieve more around cancer and fertility than either organization could alone. In recognizing that dealing with infertility is a significant component of cancer survivorship, the LAF is committing its resources to the following through this acquisition:

1. Providing patient education on cancer
2. Improving the informed consent process between the patient and the healthcare professional to include discussion of the risk of infertility with cancer therapy.
3. Maintaining relationships within the reproductive community.
4. Increasing access to fertility services for those diagnosed with cancer through financial assistance.