A husband sold his prized collection of high-end sneakers to fund IVF treatment for his wife – who spent five years trying to conceive, undergoing 11 surgeries along the way and suffering eight miscarriages.
Lauren, 35, and EJ Wynn, 35, from Chesapeake, Ohio, spent years trying to have a child together, but they were faced with heartbreak after heartbreak.
They wanted to try in vitro fertilization but weren’t sure how they’d be able to pay for the expensive procedure, so EJ decided to sell his beloved shoes – earning more than $4,000 from the sale and making their dream of having a baby finally possible.
He sold pairs upon pairs of Nike and Yeezy sneakers, and said it was a ‘no brainer’ to give up the valuable shoes.
‘Having a child was way more important than any shoe,’ he told Good Morning America during a recent interview. ‘I had been collecting for a long time, so it was kind of a no brainer.’
Sweet gesture: A husband sold his prized collection of high-end sneakers to fund IVF treatment for his wife – who spent five years trying to conceive and suffered eight miscarriages
Lauren and EJ Wynn, from Chesapeake, Ohio, spent years trying to have a child together, but unfortunately, they were faced with heartbreak after heartbreak
Losing hope: They went through eight miscarriages and two failed intrauterine inseminations – leaving Lauren ‘discouraged’ and ready to give up on becoming a mother
Their last resort was in vitro fertilization, However, they didn’t know how they would afford the expensive procedure – which costs an average of $12,000 to $17,000 per cycle
Selfless: But EJ decided to sell his sneaker collection in an attempt to cover the costs, earning $4,800 in the first round of sales and bringing his wife to tears
The couple went through eight miscarriages and two failed intrauterine inseminations – which is a medical procedure where sperm is placed directly into the uterus – leaving Lauren ‘discouraged’ and ready to give up on becoming a mother.
Their last resort was in vitro fertilization – a process during which egg cells are surgically retrieved from the woman, before being fertilized by sperm and transferred back into the uterus.
However, they were struggling to pay for the expensive procedure – which costs an average of $12,000 to $17,000 per cycle, according to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
But EJ decided to sell his sneaker collection in an attempt to cover the costs, which brought his wife to tears.
The IVF worked and in August 2021, the couple announced that they were expecting a baby boy together.
Lauren is now 18-weeks into the pregnancy, and she said having a child will be a ‘dream come true’ for them.
‘To have a baby would be a dream come true for us. It’s everything we have wanted since before we even got married,’ she told the outlet.
‘The journey has been a little rough for us,’ EJ added.
Throughout the long process, Lauren told GMA that she received over 600 injections, underwent 11 surgeries, and took more than 400 pills in an attempt to get pregnant.
And after going through eight miscarriages, Lauren said she started to ‘blame herself.’
‘When we had our first loss, I felt very alone,’ Lauren recalled. ‘There have been some very discouraging times.
Baby on board: The IVF worked and in August 2021, the couple announced that they were expecting a little boy together
Miracle: Lauren is now 18-weeks into the pregnancy, and she told Good Morning America that having a child will be a ‘dream come true’ for them
Throughout the long process, Lauren said she has received over 600 injections, underwent 11 surgeries, and took more than 400 pills in an attempt to get pregnant
After going through eight miscarriages, Lauren said she started to ‘blame herself.’ She is pictured with family hours after having her first miscarriage five years ago
When they first started considering IVF, Lauren admitted that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go through with it – due to the large financial burden and her fears that it wouldn’t work
Touching: But after her husband’s sweet gesture – which was a ‘no brainer’ for EJ – they decided to give it a try
‘There have been times where I was like, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do another injection.
‘I can’t put us through another loss. … Then you blame yourself and ask, “What’s wrong with my body?” This isn’t supposed to be happening.’
When they first started considering IVF, Lauren admitted that she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go through with it – due to the large financial burden and her fears that it wouldn’t work.
She explained: ‘Financially, to know this may or may not work, this doesn’t guarantee you to bring home a baby – many people think, “Hey, let’s do IVF, we’re gonna bring home a baby” – it doesn’t matter.
‘I know women who go in it and have no embryo. Mentally, it’s very, very hard knowing we could do this and still not have a baby.’
But after her husband’s touching sacrifice, they decided to give it a try, and it was successful.
Lauren and EJ have shared much of their journey online and have gained thousands of followers along the way.
Back in August, Lauren posted some footage of EJ selling his sneakers to TikTok, and it quickly went viral, gaining more than two million views.
Family first: ‘Having a child was way more important than any shoe,’ he said
Going viral: Lauren and EJ have shared their journey online and have gained thousands of followers over the years. They even raised $12,000 through their GoFundMe account
Staying strong: Now, they may have a baby on the way, but Lauren admitted that she is still worried that something may go wrong, but she is trying to ‘remain positive’
‘To finally get to where we at now, It’s been amazing,’ EJ concluded. Lauren added, ‘It’s been a miracle’
‘My husband sold his shoes about a year ago to surprise me to pay on our IVF,’ she wrote in the video, which showed her husband carrying numerous boxes of Nike shoes into a store.
‘I got pregnant, so we used the money for IVIG. I had another miscarriage.’
Intravenous immune globulin is a product made up of antibodies given to help treat various autoimmune, infectious, and idiopathic diseases.
She continued in the clip, ‘Now, we are back at trying IVF. I thought he was just selling his shoes again because it was a good time to flip them.
‘When we left he put his arm around me and said that money was for IVF. I’m still crying. All the shots and medicine is worth it to make him a dad.’
Both Yeezy and Nike sneakers can re-sell for hundreds of dollars, depending on what type they are.
The TikTok moved many people on the internet, and since then, Lauren and EJ said they have received so many kind comments from viewers around the world – and they even raised $12,000 through their GoFundMe page.
‘I didn’t even realize how many guys online could relate. So many people reached out and would call me and ask me for advice,’ EJ said of some of the responses he’s gotten since going viral.
Now, they may have a baby on the way, but Lauren admitted that she is still worried that something may go wrong, but she is trying to ‘remain positive.’
‘I’m just going to keep trying to remain positive. EJ and I both are,’ she said.
‘When you’ve gone through this as many times as we have, in the back of your head, you’re still hesitant to let yourself actually fully let down your guard.
‘To finally get to where we at now, It’s been amazing,’ EJ concluded.
‘It’s been a miracle,’ Lauren agreed.
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