Racing To Build Families

After struggling with infertility issues for over three years, Joshua and Patricia Green knew that In Vitro Fertilization was the next step in their fertility journey. Like most young couples whose only option to conceive is through high-tech ART therapies, the costs of the treatment became the next roadblock in the path to parenthood.

The Greens were told about the Family Building Grant through the Tinina Q. Cade Foundation that helps couples in their situation help pay for fertility treatment or adoption services. They quickly filled out the grant application and mailed it in hoping that they would be chosen to receive money to help them with the cost of their fertility treatment.

"It was last minute that we found out about this foundation,” said Patricia. “So we got all of the information from our doctor, applied and submitted the application in less than a week, and went on blind faith that hopefully something would come through.”

In December 2007, the Greens found out that they would be receiving a grant of $5,000. To their surprise, Shady Grove Fertility Center matched the grant and provided the Grants a solid financial foundation for them to pursue their fertility treatment.

“We had a lot of support from our family, the Cade Foundation and then Shady Grove Fertility, who are partners with the Cade Foundation, matched the grant,” said Josh.

On February 10, 2009, Caden D. Green was born. The little boy, affectionately named for the organization that helped his mommy and daddy pursue fertility treatments, is the first baby born from the Shady Grove Fertility and Cade Foundation partnership.

“We are so thankful to Cade Foundation and Shady Grove Fertility, and feel very blessed,” said Patricia.

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Watch Josh and Patricia discuss their experience with the Cade Foundation.

A Budding Relationship

Much like Caden, the relationship between Cade Foundation and Shady Grove Fertility Center is still very much in its infancy. Nevertheless, the objectives are crystal clear.

“We want to provide the resources to grow the foundation to the national non-profit organization that it could be,” said Mark Segal, Shady Grove Fertility Center CEO.

Established in 2005, the Cade Foundation is named for Tinina Cade, the 55-year-old mother who acted as her daughter’s gestational surrogate and delivered her own grandchildren. In honor of her mother’s incredible gift, Dr. Camille Hammond, the former director of cancer survivorship studies at the University of Maryland, began the organization to provide other infertile couples with the funds to help grow their family. The Cade Foundation is the only organization in the nation that provides financial assistance to couples battling infertility. The funds are applied to costs associated with infertility treatments or domestic adoption.

Shady Grove’s own reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Frank Chang, met Hammond in 2005 at a RESOLVE conference during National Fertility Awareness Month. Chang talked to Hammond about the foundation and its mission, as well as the work he was doing at Shady Grove. Hammond then asked him to sit on the Cade Foundation board of trustees.

“I was the fertility expert on the board,” said Chang. “But as I got more involved, I realized that this was something that I really wanted to support, from both an educational and financial standpoint, as there are so many people who are underserved.”

Chang then told Segal about his involvement and the goals of the Cade Foundation.

“When I talked to Mark, I asked him if we could match the funds from the foundation if the patients came to Shady Grove Fertility,” said Chang, who eventually became the Green’s physician.

“After Frank told us about Camille and the organization, we realized there was an opportunity here,” Segal said. “We quickly found that our goals and objectives were so closely aligned; it was just a natural partnership.”

Segal added, “We have always been approached by patients who were successful at SGFC and wanted an opportunity to give back. We now have a channel by which we can help others who may not necessarily have the means to go through fertility treatments on their own.”

Over the next three years, Shady Grove Fertility matched the Family Building Grant funds, providing an additional $5,000 to each grant recipient to pursue fertility treatments with Shady Grove Fertility. By 2008, the relationship evolved.

Shady Grove introduced Hammond to other fertility clinics, associations, and organizations in order to cultivate relationships and expand the Cade Foundation network and Shady Grove volunteered its doctors to participate in Cade Foundation outreach activities. According to Hammond, Shady Grove Fertility has not only been a partner, but a truly good friend.

“Camille is so dynamic,” said Patty Stull, former Shady Grove Fertility patient and current Director of Marketing and Business Development. “Camille’s vision for the foundation is wide in scope and her intentions are rooted in service. I really respect what she has already accomplished in such a short period of time, and look forward to working together to help even more couples become a family.”

Race for the FamilySGFC Hosts the 2009 Race for the Family 5K

In 2008, over $55,000 was raised to support the Family Building Grant and other outreach activities. Most of the money distributed is raised through the annual Race for the Family 5K.

This year, Shady Grove Fertility is taking its involvement with the Cade Foundation to the next level by presenting the 4th Annual Cade Foundation ‘Race for the Family’ 5k fundraiser on Sunday, September 27.

“We want to help more couples like the Greens achieve their dream of having a family, said Stull. “Everyone at Shady Grove Fertility is excited that we can help in a very direct way by raising money to go towards the Family Building Grants. We have an extensive community of people who will want support this initiative, patients and doctors and staff alike.”

The festivities will start at 8 am at Shady Grove Fertility Center's Rockville office. This year’s race will include a 5K run, Fun Walk, Toddler Trot and Arts Festival. All monies raised will go to the Family Building Grant. After raising $13,000 at last year’s Maryland race, the goal for 2009 is $25,000. All race participants will be entered into a raffle to receive a free IVF cycle, courtesy of Shady Grove Fertility Center.

How Can I Get Involved?

You have three ways you can get involved:
1) Sign up to race
2) Sign up to fundraise
3) Donate to Cade Foundation

For additional information on the Cade Foundation and how to get involved in this year's race, please visit the Race for the Family page on www.ShadyGroveFertility.com, or log-on to www.cadefoundation.org.