Photo Credit: Walt Disney Television/Jeff Neira
Tamron Hall has a new syndicated talk show and not just that, but a new baby that she had a 48 years old. Just the thought of having a child at that age for most people sounds completely crazy but that’s because it’s not being done by natural means. In fact, she kept her pregnancy a secret out of fear that she would lose the baby, which is understandable. But most importantly, she had her baby by in vitro fertilization (IVF). She also brought on two Bravo cast members of the Real Housewives on her show to discuss their experiences, Kenya Moore from Atlanta and Gretchen Rossi from Orange County.
Moore’s husband, Marc Daly is hardly on television and prefers to keep a behind the scenes supportive role of his wife in his relationship but he showed up to talk about what it’s like as a husband going through this with his spouse. What’s interesting is that for those who don’t know, regular injections have to be done to get through the process and when asked if he had a hard time administering them to his wife, Daly said he never did it. (See, you should never assume.) Both Moore and Daly said they were afraid of needles and she just sucked it up and did it herself. Hall shared a story where she had to leave an assignment and travel back out of town to go home to do her evening dosage because she forgot to bring it with her. It was a case of work and possibly lose your pregnancy or leave to get your medication, which she chose the latter.
Then there’s Gretchen Rossi. She’s 40 years old who said she had to go through about 5 rounds of IVF treatments. While that sounds like a hell of a period of continued disappointment, the price tag is the biggest disappointment. A round of IVF can cost between $12,000 and $17,000. It’s so bad that after giving birth, Rossi went to Washington to work with Senator Cory Booker to work on affordability of the procedure for others. One woman in the audience said she spent the cost of a house on her IVF treatments. Ouch. And as for Rossi’s husband’s way of helping her, he said a wise person once told him to shut his mouth and just be there. Yes, we have to agree that that’s good advice for any situation as a spouse.
And to help other women experience the same joy both she, Rossi and Hall now have, Kenya Moore spoke about her work with the Baby Quest Foundation which helps women pay for IVF treatments who might not have the financial means to do so. She’s even donated herself. The great part about this episode was that this wasn’t just a show about a bunch of wealthy women talking about their issues with a procedure most people could never afford but they’re helping others with their fertility issues. And that in itself is commendable.
