The road to parenthood was not an easy one for Krista and Anthony Rivera, but thanks to a local radio contest, they are now the proud mom and dad of a 3-month-old baby boy, Garrett.
It all started when the couple from Cape Coral, Florida learned that they would need in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment in order to conceive, due to Anthony’s diagnosis with testicular cancer in 2017. Although they were thankfully able to freeze his sperm, they hit yet another roadblock when they learned that fertility treatment would not be covered by their health insurance.
As of 2018, more than8 million babies have been born worldwide as of the result of IVF. Like the Riveras, more than 80% of the people who went through IVF in 2018 hadlittle to no insurance coverage for the treatment, making it prohibitively expensive for many couples.
Determined not to give up, the Riveras hit an amazing stroke of luck when they entered and won a local radio station’s “Win A Baby Contest.” B103.9 invited couples who were struggling to conceive to submit videos sharing their stories, and one winner would receive all-expense-paid IVF treatment. The Riveras were thrilled when they learned they were chosen and were one step closer to achieving their dream of parenthood.
Here’s the couple in 2018, as posted to Krista’s Facebook page.
“It’s life-changing,” Krista told Fox 4 at the time. “A cruise is great and all, but they literally gave us the gift of life.”
Their journey, which B103.9 shared online, was just beginning. After successfully conceiving via IVF, the Riveras welcomed their “miracle” son in August 2019. Although Garrett suffered a broken arm and was not breathing when he was first born, he quickly recovered.
“Three days in the NICU seemed like a lifetime, but the nurses and doctors took excellent care of him and he’s finally home,” Krista told B103.9 following her son’s birth. “Garrett, we love you more than we could ever explain.”
It’s three months in, and the new parents couldn’t be happier with their bundle of joy. Here’s Garrett in an adorable photo posted to Krista’s Facebook page on Oct. 9:
“I never ever would have thought that three years later, I would be holding my baby boy,” Anthony told the radio station.
How awesome! Congratulations to the Riveras, and best of luck to Chris and Vy Nguyen, this year’s winners of the B103.9 “Win A Baby Contest,” who are currently undergoing treatment to conceive.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
