My journey to becoming a mother did not follow the path I once imagined. What unfolded was a story shaped by faith, surrender, incredible science, and a love deeper than I ever knew possible. 

The Waiting That Changed Me

Infertility has a way of slowing time. Each month felt like holding my breath. Each appointment carried both hope and defeat. There were moments of gut-wrenching heartbreak, when the dream of motherhood felt impossibly far away. I learned that IVF doesn't just change your body, it reshapes your spirit.

Yet, even then, love was already forming. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was becoming a mother long before I held my child in my arms.

Choosing Hope Again and Again

For me, choosing donor egg and donor sperm was not deemed as a loss of something. Rather than grieving the need for them, I viewed them as gifts of generosity from strangers, which I will forever be grateful for. They are an expansion of unconditional love. The science of IVF gave us a chance, and love gave us the courage to keep stepping forward.

Families are created in many ways, and every one of them is valid, sacred, and worthy of celebration.

Becoming a Mother Before I Ever Held Her

When my daughter was born, I felt something profound the moment we locked eyes: I already knew her. She had been growing in my heart for years. I knew that we had chosen each other. That powerful realization stayed with me and is core to our story. Eventually, it became the seed of a book. I wrote I Grew in Mommy’s Heart because I couldn’t find the story I needed when it was time to explain our journey to my child. I wanted her to grow up knowing she was chosen, prayed for, and loved beyond measure.

Why I Shared Our Story

My intention for the book was to honor that love. It gently explains the science of IVF and donor conception through warmth, imagination, and reassurance. There is no focus on pain or sacrifices. Rather, it is told from the child’s perspective of their beautiful origin story.  

Every child deserves to know their beginning was filled with love.

If This Story Is Yours Too

If you are walking the IVF path right now, I want you to know this: Love is already quietly at work, within you, around you, and is waiting for you in ways you may not yet see.

If you’re IVF parents, donor-conceived families, or anyone who took the long path to parenthood, I hope this book can be part of your conversation when the time feels right.

You can find I Grew in Mommy’s Heart on Amazon by clicking here: I Grew in Mommy's Heart: Myers, Mel, Heenop-Rheeder, Tina: 9798999548825: Amazon.com: Books

 I hope it finds the families who need it, just as it found its way out of my heart.

With love,
Mel