Florida couple gives birth to boy thanks to 'Win a Baby' contest
(CNN)A "Win a Baby" contest hosted by a Florida radio station helped turn one couple into parents.
The
contest, which was hosted by Florida's B1039 in November 2017, offered
one woman the chance to receive a free round of in-vitro fertilization
(IVF) and all the medication needed. The sweepstakes called for videos
from women explaining why they'd be a great mom, the radio station said
in a blog post Saturday.
The
winners of the contest in 2017 were Krista and Anthony Rivera of Cape
Coral. The couple welcomed their son, Garrett Campbell Rivera, into the
world in August 2019.
"We
certainly don't know how to do anything the easy way, but we are still
blessed beyond measure," Krista Rivera told B1039 in August.
Infertility
is an issue affecting millions of people. In 2017, the American Medical
Association declared infertility a disease. In the summary of the
decision, the association expressed hope that the new designation would
"promote insurance coverage and payment" and remove some of the stigma.
IVF costs, on average, roughly $20,000 a cycle and is not, in most cases, covered by insurance.
For the majority of the infertile population, this means they either
have to take on considerable debt or avoid receiving treatment and
likely the chance to have children.
Approximately
8 million babies have been born as a result of IVF around the world,
according to Dr. Richard J. Paulson, immediate past president of the
American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
"When we thought we couldn't have a baby it was just crushing," Krista Rivera told CNN affiliate WFTX. "Without the contest we definitely would not have been able to have our dream of having a baby."
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