This is Infertility is a bi-weekly podcast where we fuse narrative storytelling with experience and science to give you a new perspective on what it’s really like to go through a family building journey. Each episode dives into the emotional, physical, and financial burdens carried by those who experience infertility on their path to parenthood. Be it IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy, adoption, etc., the path is never the same and it can be long, painful, and lonely. It’s our mission to give those struggling a platform to be heard, a community connection, and an opportunity to raise awareness of the 1 in 8 who, for many reasons, struggle with infertility.

Episode 20: Oncofertility: Fighting for Fertility Preservation Coverage

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in light of this, we are dedicating four episodes to oncofertility – the bridge between oncology and reproductive research that explores and expands options for the reproductive future of cancer survivors.  

In the second episode of the four-part series, we hear from cancer survivor Amanda Rice. When Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer, her doctors recommended an aggressive treatment protocol that would potentially threaten her fertility. She had some fertility health insurance but when she called the insurance company, she found that they had illogical barriers that excluded her from coverage for fertility preservation.  

After her intense physical and emotional battle of surviving cancer three times, Amanda decided she wanted to use her expertise in finance, fundraising, and project managing to help others. She created Chick Mission, a non-profit organization relentlessly focused on critical issues unique to cancer patients – including fertility challenges that may follow surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and drug treatment.  

Guest: Amanda Rice, Founder and CEO of Chick Mission 

Experts: Dr. Jennifer Levine, Weill Cornell Medicine and Alliance of Fertility Preservation, and Dr. Thomas Molinaro, Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey 

Host: Lissa Kline, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny 

For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page, Chick Mission, Alliance for Fertility Preservation and RMA of NJ. 

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. 

Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.

Host

Lissa Kline, LCSW, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny

Lissa manages and oversees Progyny’s Patient Care Advocates. Prior to joining Progyny, she worked at Columbia University Medical Center in the division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Involved in Patient Services and the Donor Egg Program, she loved working with patients while they underwent fertility treatment. Lissa graduated with a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.

Guests

Amanda Rice, Founder and CEO of Chick Mission

Amanda, a three-time cancer survivor, started Chick Mission to help women with cancer finance and understand fertility preservation, after her own insurance claims were denied. The Chick Mission will not accept the status quo of health insurance companies refusing to cover fertility preservation for cancer patients. The organization strives to give any woman a choice regarding her future family before lifesaving treatment makes decisions for her. She’s also the Director of Investor Relations and Business Development for Maltese Capital Management.

Jennifer Levine, MD, MSW, Board Member for Alliance for Fertility Preservation and Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine

Dr. Jennifer Levine was a Principal Investigator on a study through the children’s oncology group evaluating ovarian reserve in adolescents diagnosed with lymphoma. Levine completed her residency at Yale New Haven Hospital and her fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center/MSCHONY.

Molinaro-RMANJ
Thomas A. Molinaro MD, MSCE, FACOG, board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist, Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey

Dr. Molinaro says RMANJ offers the best of all worlds, working to answer questions which had been previously unobtainable in the name of helping patients become parents. He’s also a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Music From This Episode:

Artist: how the night came
Track: Reflection
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Artist: Steve Combs
Track: Symphony No 1 I Hope
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Track: A Vital Piece of Music for All Your Soundtrack Needs
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Track: Symphony No 1 III Failure
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Track: Symphony No 1 IV Hope
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Artist: Kai Engel
Track: Mare
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Artist: Komiku
Track: Resolution
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Track: Merfolks Song
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Artist: Brylie Christopher Oxley
Track: Heavenly Motion
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Artist: Drake Stafford
Track: The Alienist
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Artist: Swelling
Track: Dawn II
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/

Artist: Phillipp Weigl
Track: Subdivision of the Masses
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/