Jason Kennedy and Wife Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Reflect on Their Infertility Journey
Episode 217, Apr 25, 2022, 02:36 PM
This National Infertility Awareness Week, former E! host Jason Kennedy and wife Lauren Scruggs Kennedy reflect on their infertility journey as they recently welcomed their son into the world. The couple says friends and family helped them through it, and sharing their experiences with their community on social media, was second nature to them. And they joined forces with First Response and RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association to help in its mission of rebuilding RESOLVE’s network of support groups that took a hit due to COVID-19, leaving huge gaps of support in local communities nationwide.
"Research shows that infertility carries with us the same burden as a cancer diagnosis. We need to ensure people have support and community," says Barbara Collura, CEO of RESOLVE. "When they have it, they have better outcomes. 85% of people have told us they feel better after participating in a support group. Many people have told us that it saved their lives." The goal is to make your journey through family building easier with fewer barriers. "Improve your life —have all the support you need," Collura says. "It’s an opportunity for people to share their story and realize they are not alone.”
RESOLVE, founded by a nurse experiencing infertility, created its first support group in 1974. It has provided free support groups ever since.
“It's really about raising awareness about the need for support and then finding all of those amazing volunteers who are going to help run those support groups,” Collura says. "We’re so excited to be able to partner with First Response on something that is, quite honestly, one of the most important things that we could be doing for the community.”
Jason and Lauren encourage others to share their stories and give back to those experiencing infertility by joining a nearby support group or volunteering to start one of their own.