Woman who struggled to get pregnant helps give away $20K to help families with fertility issues

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A Chicago nonprofit is giving away $20,000 to help families having a tough time getting pregnant.

Regina Townsend, the woman leading the way, said she wants to especially help women of color.

"I sometimes forget just how this part felt, because I was still stuck in this part, in the medication part," said Townsend, the founder of Broken Brown Egg.

Townsend remembers the terrifying struggle of getting pregnant with her son, Judah.

"I went and I told the doctor, 'I think I might have PCOS,' and she laughed it off," Townsend said.

But then, the people who read her blog, Broken Brown Egg, encouraged her to get a second opinion.

"I've tried to do now is just get us talking about it. Just, literally telling our stories opens the floodgates for so many other people to tell their stories," Townsend said.

Townsend said telling her story helped get her to the right diagnosis of polycystic ovarian syndrome. And then, it was about getting through IVF, a process she said can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 per cycle.

"This is what that looks like. My husband had to become, like, a nurse, basically," Townsend said.

Now with the help of fertility benefits company Progyny, she's giving away two $10,000 grants to help couples of color and Black women pay for fertility treatments.

"Studies have shown that we are sometimes three times more likely to experience infertility, but we are the least likely to seek help for it," Townsend said.

She showed ABC7 her research from over the years. It shows that there is virtually no fertility treatment centers in Black communities in Chicago.

Townsend said if she had not started her blog and started asking questions, her son would not exist.

Judah is now 7 years old, and Townsend's pride and joy. Her blog reaches couples all over the nation.

She says it's now her mission.

"I don't ever want anyone to feel how I felt, and especially after going through fertility treatment," Townsend said.

The deadline to apply for the grant is Friday. Click here for more information.