This is the true story of a family who travelled from the United States to Barcelona IVF to begin their journey to parenthood with Dr Raúl Olivares. After years marked by distance, waiting and difficulties accessing fertility treatment in their own country, they found a new opportunity in Barcelona to fulfill their dream of building a family. Through this testimonial, they share their experience at the clinic, the medical and human support they received, and their emotional return to Barcelona IVF, years later, together with their children.
A Story of Courage, Distance, and Miracles — Our Barcelona IVF Journey
Some love stories begin with certainty. Ours began with timing that felt... imperfect.
I was 39 when I met him—a brilliant, kind, thoughtful man finishing his architecture PhD in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At that stage in my life, I had already made peace with the idea that motherhood might not be in my future. I had always known I would love being a mom, but I was equally certain about one thing: I would only take that path if I found the right partner. And until I met him, I hadn't.
But then, there he was.
Our relationship grew quickly, grounded in deep respect, laughter, and shared dreams. Yet just as it was beginning to feel like something permanent, life placed a distance between us. When he completed his PhD, he returned to his native Türkiye—bound by an eight-year commitment to the university that had supported his education. Eight years is a long time in any love story. In ours, it was monumental.
We stayed connected across continents, holding tight to the belief that what we had was rare and worth waiting for.
By the time his commitment ended and we were finally able to begin our life together in the same place, I was in my late 40s. The biological clock that so often defines a woman's timeline had quieted. I had made peace with it. Or at least, I thought I had.
Then he proposed.
When my then-boyfriend became my husband, we started to talk about the future—not just ours, but the possibility of a family. He spoke of becoming a father with a quiet, steady hope. And in that moment, something shifted in me. I realized that if there was ever a person I wanted to raise a child with, it was him.
We began exploring our options in the United States, but we quickly encountered two immovable barriers: cost and age restrictions. It felt like the end of the road before we had even begun.
Until a small thread of possibility appeared.
Through family, I learned of successful IVF experiences in Spain. That single story lit a spark, and soon I found myself researching clinics, reading testimonials, and cautiously allowing hope to return. That search led us to Barcelona IVF—and to Dr. Olivares.
Our first interaction—a video consultation—changed everything.
From across the ocean, through a simple screen, we felt something profound: compassion, honesty, and expertise. Dr. Olivares didn't promise miracles, but he didn't dismiss our dreams either. He met us exactly where we were—with encouragement grounded in realism. It was exactly what we needed.
What followed was a seamless collaboration between Dr. Olivares and my fertility specialist in the United States. Together, they designed a plan tailored to us—thoughtful, strategic, and full of possibility.
We moved forward using my husband's sperm and donor eggs through the clinic. And then, something incredible happened: eight viable, healthy blastocysts.
Eight chances. Eight tiny beginnings. Eight reasons to believe.
Because we were traveling such a great distance, and because we wanted to maximize our chances, we decided to transfer two embryos at a time.
February 2015: negative.
April 2015: negative again.
Two failed attempts. Two heartbreaks that felt heavier than we had expected. Each one carried hope on the way in—and silence on the way out.
We paused. We grieved. But we did not give up.
Dr. Olivares and my local physician reassessed everything. Adjustments were made—small but meaningful shifts grounded in their expertise and belief in our case.
August 2015 brought a breakthrough: a positive pregnancy.
For a few weeks, we lived in a dream. Every day felt fragile, precious. We allowed ourselves to imagine a future we had been afraid to touch. But at eight weeks, that dream shattered into loss.
A miscarriage.
It is hard to describe that kind of grief—the kind that is both real and invisible, brief and yet infinite. We mourned not just the pregnancy, but the possibility we had allowed ourselves to finally embrace.
And yet... we still had two embryos left.
Two last chances.
In January 2016, we made the journey once more to Barcelona. There was quiet determination this time—not naïve hope, but something deeper. We had been through enough to understand the risks, and still, we chose to believe.
We transferred both remaining blastocysts.
And this time... it worked.
Not just a fleeting success—but one that held.
We were pregnant.
We held our breath through those early weeks, through each milestone, through every scan and reassuring heartbeat. And then, at 32 weeks and 1 day, our journey shifted once more—this time into an unexpected but beautiful arrival.
We welcomed not one, but two tiny, perfect miracles.
Our twins were born prematurely, strong and determined. They spent four weeks in the NICU—four weeks of watching, waiting, and whispering gratitude with every passing day.
And then, just like that, they came home.
Healthy. Happy. Perfect.
Proof that sometimes the longest roads lead to the most extraordinary destinations.
There are no words that will ever fully capture what Barcelona IVF—and the remarkable team of Drs. Olivares, Rabanal, Grossman, and so many others—gave us. They didn't just guide a medical process; they helped write the most meaningful chapter of our lives.
They gave us a family.
And now, in July 2026, we return—this time not with uncertainty, but with joy. We are bringing our children back to the place where their story truly began. We have always been open with them about their journey into this world, and they are filled with excitement to meet the people who helped make it possible.
To walk those halls not as hopeful patients, but as a family—it feels like coming full circle.
To anyone who believes their dream of having a family is beyond reach—because of age, distance, or other circumstances—please know this:
Sometimes the path is longer than expected. Sometimes it asks more of you than you think you can give. But sometimes... it leads you exactly where you were always meant to be.
For us, that place was Barcelona.
And because of it, our home is now filled with laughter, love, and two beautiful reminders that miracles do exist.
This story reminds us that every journey towards parenthood is unique, and that medical and human support can make all the difference.
Discover how we support our international patients at Barcelona IVF.
