Man Makes “No Brainer” Decision To Sell Sneaker Collection For His Future Child.

Lauren and EJ Wynn

Many people take their fertility for granted, yet for one in every eight couples, becoming parents doesn’t come easily.

Lauren and EJ Wynn of Chesapeake, Ohio have been trying to conceive for over 5 years. Lauren has endured 600 injections, 11 surgeries, 400 pills, and repeated blood fusions. Sadly, nothing has worked. She’s suffered eight miscarriages, but she’s never given up the hope of holding her baby someday.

“When we had our first loss, I felt very alone,” Lauren said. “There have been some very discouraging times. There have been times where I was like, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do another injection. I can’t put us through another loss. … Then you blame yourself and ask, ‘What’s wrong with my body?’ This isn’t supposed to be happening.”

Both EJ and Lauren say that having a baby together would be a “dream come true.” She’s been documenting her journey to parenthood on social media as a way to reach out to others who are going through the same thing. Recently the couple decided to try in vitro fertilization, a treatment that comes with a hefty price tag. Each round of IVF costs between $12,000 and $17,000, and insurance usually doesn’t cover it all.

As they pondered whether they could afford to go for a risky procedure that doesn’t guarantee a baby, EJ quietly decided to take matters in to his own hands. Last summer, EJ packed up multiple pairs of the designer sneakers he’d been collecting for years and sold them to raise money for IVF.

Lauren shared a video of EJ selling pristine pairs of Nike and Yeezy sneakers on social media, and the clip quickly went viral with millions of views. He managed to raise $4,800 from the sales to put towards the fertility treatment, showing his priorities are 100 percent in the right place when it comes to becoming a dad!

After the TikTok video went viral, the couple were flooded with praise and questions from strangers. They were touched by how many people reached out to them for advice on their own fertility journeys, and EJ was moved by how selling his collection encouraged other men to open up about a sometimes taboo subject.

“I didn’t even realize how many guys online could relate,” EJ said. “So many people reached out and would call me and ask me for advice.”

Another bonus of going viral? A GoFundMe the couple set up racked up more than $12,000 in donations, giving them enough money for their first round of IVF. The implantation was successful, and Lauren got pregnant!

Lauren is now 19 weeks pregnant and excited about the future.

“I’m just going to keep trying to remain positive,” she said. “EJ and I both are. When you’ve gone through this as many times as we have, in the back of your head, you’re still hesitant to let yourself actually fully let down your guard.”

“It’s been a miracle,” Lauren added.

EJ is going to make a great dad! This couple has been through so much together, but their troubles have only made their relationship stronger. We are wishing them be best of luck with the remainder of Lauren’s pregnancy – and beyond!

Share this story to let people struggling with fertility know they’re not alone, and there is always hope.

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