Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Why Infertility Is Now a National Conversation
58 Plays29 days ago
1 in 6 people experience infertility, but access to IVF and fertility care still depends on where you live, your job, and your insurance.
As we recognize National Infertility Awareness Week, this conversation matters more than ever.
In this episode, we break down why infertility is becoming a national conversation, and what most people don’t see behind the scenes.
I’m joined by Alise Powell from RESOLVE: The National Infertility & Family Building Association, where she works in fertility advocacy, policy, and expanding access to care.
In this episode:
Why IVF access depends on your state and employer
What’s changing in fertility coverage and legislation
The real cost of infertility (financial + emotional)
How advocacy and storytelling are shaping the future of family building
If you’re considering IVF, surrogacy, or egg donation, or just trying to understand your options, this will help you move forward with more clarity and confidence.
Subscribe for real stories, expert insights, and support on your journey to building a family.
Recommended
Transcript
The Impact of Infertility
00:00:00
Speaker
ah One in six people are affected by infertility and that often means someone that you know is in the lawmaker's life um has probably been touched by infertility in some form or another. one in six people, which means this isn't just personal. It's reaching the people making decisions about fertility care because right now your access to fertility care can depend on where you live, who you work for,
00:00:24
Speaker
and what your insurance covers. The stigma that used to um you know come along with an infertility diagnosis seems to be really um you know, impacted folks just feeling more comfortable sharing their stories and wanting to get more information on, on how to get access to the care that they need and that they deserve. And that's what's shifting right now.
00:00:43
Speaker
More people are speaking up, more stories are being shared. And this conversation is gaining momentum in ways we haven't seen before because family building isn't a partisan issue.
00:00:55
Speaker
It's a human one.
Disparities in Access to Fertility Care
00:00:57
Speaker
And so right now, really access to fertility care across the country is largely determined um by where you live or who your employer is. And the system hasn't caught up.
00:01:07
Speaker
I'm joined by Elise Powell from Resolve, and we're breaking down what's changing in fertility policy, why access still depends on your state and employer, and how advocacy is shaping what comes next.
00:01:20
Speaker
Because this conversation isn't new, but what happens next could be.
00:01:28
Speaker
Elise, love that this year's National Infertility Awareness Week theme is more than because infertility really is more than a diagnosis, statistics. This affects real people across every political belief, income level, identity and path, et cetera. I mean, so from your perspective, what does more than mean in this moment?
00:01:57
Speaker
Yeah, thanks for having me so much, Whitney. um So this year we're really excited about National Infertility Awareness Week. We love the theme. As a staff, when we first heard the theme, we thought it was perfect. There were a couple different options, and this is the clear front runner. And I think it's because it really captures where the conversation is right now. It's about recognizing that you know people navigating infertility are more than a diagnosis or more than a treatment plan um and more than the assumptions that often get placed on them. um And like, as you mentioned, it's disease affects people across the political spectrum. um So I think it's really encapsulates you know where things are in this moment in this space.
00:02:41
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. you You've already touched on this before, but you know it really stood out to me that family building is not a partisan issue. It's a human one. Can you expand more on that? And what does that look like in the rooms where policies are being made?
Policy Support for Fertility Care
00:03:01
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's also more than just a clinical issue. um You know, the the policy space now has changed so much. I joined Resolve staff a year, almost a year and a half ago now. And since then so much has changed even since then. um We've seen you know more and more people share their stories. The stigma that used to you know come along with an infertility diagnosis seems to be really you know impacted by the prevalence in the media and um you know folks just feeling more comfortable sharing their stories and wanting to get more information on on how to get access to the care that they need and that they deserve. And so that's where Resolve is really um you know happy to step in and provide those resources. um yeah
00:03:48
Speaker
But I think in terms of the political perspective, we've seen, you know, both sides of the aisle really coming together, um you know, access to IVF and as the ah ah bipart a bipartisan issue, a nonpartisan issue. And we've seen that.
00:04:06
Speaker
you know In the state legislature and also at the federal level now, um the president has spoken about his support for IVF. and um There was an executive order in February, that ah last February, that came out um you know wanting to expand access and affordability to IVF. and That was the first time at that national level that we've seen um this issue highlighted. so um you know brought a lot of of national attention. um And also from the policy perspective, there's a lot of work to be done. There was um from that executive order, there were a couple of ah different pathways to expand access to care that came out of it. And you know Resolve is really excited to see you know what else we can do and where we can be helpful to just to further expand access to care.
00:04:53
Speaker
Yeah.
Influence of Personal Stories on Policy
00:04:54
Speaker
Do you find that lawmakers respond differently when they hear personal stories versus statistics?
00:05:05
Speaker
I mean, and some of the state level work that we do when we have our state advocacy days, and that we had one in Minnesota um earlier this year and a couple of last year that I attended and by far the most impactful way to share your story and to get folks who maybe are reaching across the aisle on board is hearing from their constituents. um You know, one in six people are affected by infertility or impacted or experiencing infertility. And that often means someone that, you know, is in the lawmaker's life.
00:05:37
Speaker
um has probably been touched by infertility in some form or another. And so hearing um a story like that from their constituent who you know is trying to grow their family and is either not able to because of a lack of access to care in this state, we're trying to you know persuade them and give them the facts as to why this would be um a great family building and pro-family initiative. um Super impactful and really moving. And I've seen it happen you know firsthand.
00:06:10
Speaker
Mm hmm. Mm hmm. you said that you you know, you joined Resolve as the director of government affairs ah a little over over a year and a half ago is what you said. And i mean, I know, like you said, there's so much shifting that has happened.
00:06:27
Speaker
What's happening right now that makes advocacy in this space maybe more urgent than ever? So much. So right now, really access to fertility care across the country is largely determined um by where you live or who your employer is. And 21 states right now have some type of fertility year coverage and 15 of those states are IVF mandated states. And so It's really a patchwork, what's kind of what we refer to it as, of coverage. um And no state currently requires Medicaid coverage for IVF, so that leaves out a a large swath of the population. um And so really at Resolve, our policy work and the Access to Care team, which I lead, is at the federal and state level trying to bridge those gaps. At the state level, we are trying to push a few states um to expand their coverage for IVF. um
00:07:25
Speaker
And so in Minnesota, California just recently passed and enacted their IVF mandate, which is really exciting. That was a very long, hard fight that kind of culminated before I even got on staff, but now in this implementation phase, It's amazing that California, huge state, a lot of folks look to across the country and are hoping that we're hoping that they follow California's lead. So other states that we're working proactively are in Minnesota, Virginia,
00:07:58
Speaker
um So we're seeing a lot of good progress there. Every year that we go back, we're hearing, um you know, lawmakers saying, oh, we remember when you guys came last year and we remember the advocates and we we're so grateful to be connected with them again. And there's lots of, like I said, there's lots of bipartisan support, more than we've ever seen in the past few years, because this is a pro-family issue. And so I think on the proactive side of things, We're seeing a lot of great momentum and, you know, all this national media attention and at the federal level, we're hoping um also that momentum expands down to the states.
00:08:35
Speaker
Yeah, for sure.
Insurance and Fertility Coverage Challenges
00:08:37
Speaker
When you say ivf mandate, what exactly does that mean? Essentially, that means insurance companies would be required to cover IVF and fertility care um benefits, just like they would if you had an knee replacement or a hip replacement. um And, you know, that's kind of how we like to frame things is, you know, IVF is is expensive because it's not covered by insurance. like any other healthcare or disease or injury would be covered. And so um these IVF mandates are essentially essentially requiring insurance coverage in insurance companies um to cover fertility care benefits. um
00:09:23
Speaker
and And so that folks who are receive their insurance either from the large group market, um that's generally a lot of the mandates are for large group market only. So for folks who work at companies where there is usually over 100 employees. um And then we've got some other states as we work through that process for the smaller and individual group markets and through the ACA exchange, which is what Virginia is working on right now.
00:09:51
Speaker
Got it. Got it. So it was interesting. I had and had a conversation with um Elizabeth Carr because I know the insurance aspect of things is is such a passion for her. And she was saying yeah that there you there is still such a big difference between your state mandating, you know having an IVF mandate, but your employer, the type of insurance that they choose can still be a barrier.
00:10:19
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. And that's that's part of the some of the challenges that um we try to address. um You know, it's it's usually um for passing an IVF mandate in the large group market is no cost to the state. So that's generally the clearest path for us to take first. And then um From there, we can work on expanding coverage to different markets. But yeah, it's still a barrier where you work and who your employer is and what kind of benefits they choose is still, it still matters and unfortunately, limits access to care for folks.
00:10:57
Speaker
Hey, real quick, before we keep going, what if your story is about more than just the outcome? April 19th through the 25th is National Infertility Awareness Week, a movement to change the conversation around infertility, break down misinformation, and remind people they are not alone.
00:11:17
Speaker
This year's theme is more than. So every day that week, we're releasing a new episode exploring each day's theme, plus our full episode on Wednesday. If you want to learn more about NIAW, head to infertilityawareness.org.
00:11:33
Speaker
And make sure you subscribe to Create a Happy Family wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss a single episode. All right, back to the conversation. Yeah, no, for sure.
00:11:44
Speaker
What misconceptions do lawmakers often have about infertility and family building that you feel like you're having conversations about whenever you are going to Capitol Hill?
00:11:58
Speaker
um Good question. I think cost is always the the number one issue that folks bring up. And we've got we've done a lot of of ah research and and we still need more research and data on exactly um how once you pass an insurance mandate, what the uptake is. But I think there's wild inflation on what people think, how many people they think will be ah using this kind of type of coverage. um And I know insurance companies purposely kind of inflate those numbers and, um you know, make it seem as if it's going to cost, and you know, we've seen up to like six, seven times what the projections are based on some of the the numbers that we have. And so What we found in some of the states like New York and Connecticut and Colorado, I believe, when we've done some analysis on what the cost actually is in terms of increase in per member per month in your insurance premium, it turns out to be usually something like a cup of coffee, like a couple of dollars, maybe less.
00:13:07
Speaker
No way. couple of cents, yeah, um in terms of an increase in your premium. And so that's really like the biggest kind of myth buster that we've got to go up against is just how much um the cost would be. um And it's it's kind of difficult to to pinpoint depending on the state. um But I think, you know, the numbers that we do have are are really on our side.
00:13:33
Speaker
That's amazing. Yeah. i I think in my head, you know, it because I see how much these things cost and, you know, especially because I know we're focusing mostly on IVF and a lot and that's IVF specifically to the...
00:13:50
Speaker
person or holder or dependent of you know that insurance having IVF, but we haven't even gotten into what does it look like to need to use a surrogate or need to use an egg donor and that type of coverage. And just alone when you're looking at those numbers, I mean, it is it is so expensive, but maybe that is the only path. And I feel like If you are looking at it where you can say, no it really is just a couple of cents or like less than that latte that you get at Starbucks. I mean, how can anybody say no to that? Totally. And that's why that's one of my favorite talking points. but
00:14:28
Speaker
it It really puts things in perspective on how life-changing this type of coverage would be and how little um the potential cost could be um if you know we were to make this positive policy change.
00:14:40
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. i know you know there's a lot of people who don't expect to become advocates. They're just trying to build their family, and suddenly they're they are navigating insurance denials and legal uncertainty.
00:14:55
Speaker
Why do you think invertility so often turns people into reluctant advocates, if you will? um I think it's really like, you know, down to like the human ah nature of it all. And, you know, this is such a pro family. I keep saying that, but that's, it's a pro family issue. And, you know, at resolve, we want to provide the support and education and resources that people need so that everyone who wants to build their family and needs to do it through ivf or other family building, um you know, requirements and needs, um, to build their family, they they deserve access to that care. And I think, you know, we mentioned a couple of times about how across party lines, we're hearing more and more that folks are recognizing that fertility care is essential healthcare. And that's, you know, it's it's taken a really long time to get to this point. And um I think it's just, it's amazing to see it happen. But also it feels a little like we're kind of catching up to where this community has been at for a really long time. And so I think, um you know, of course it's a very passionate group of ah community that we have um on our side and, you know,
00:16:17
Speaker
you know it's It's also really impactful um you know for the folks who have been fighting for a long time and have resolved their families um in whatever way they they see fit. um They come back and advocate and sometimes they bring their kids that were that were that are their IVF babies. So um that's also a really rewarding and um really impactful for lawmakers to see as well. Like this is look at the family that you helped helped us to build.
00:16:43
Speaker
Yeah, I think one of the one of the biggest shifts that it still needs to happen but i think is like you said slowly being more understood and you said it at the beginning was being diagnosed with infertility it is a diagnosis just like you know you tore your acl that's a diagnosis instead of oh it's just something that you want and you just can't have like it's not oh i can't have ice cream today it's i've been diagnosed with something
00:17:18
Speaker
Yeah, it's a disease recognized by the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. um You know, all the the medical authority organizations, um you know, are are on the on the same page and in alignment about infertility is a disease. And at Resolve, we think that, you know, it should be covered just like any other injury, illness or disease.
00:17:47
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. What have you witnessed that has maybe surprised you about just everyday people stepping in to that advocacy role?
Advocacy Against Restrictive Legislation
00:18:00
Speaker
um I would say, you know, when we've got um some anti-family legislation that we've been kind of fighting against the past few months since state legislative sessions have started, From January till now, we've had to activate our communities in certain states that are you know trying to introduce bills that would be harmful or restrict access to IVF. And those are always the times where our community really steps up. um In South Dakota in particular, there was a bill that would have ah restricted and regulated um and kind of surveilled um what people are doing with their embryos and requiring the health department to you know track how many embryos were implanted and where they were what the embryo disposition was and Um, whether or not you could, um, genetically test the embryos that you created. So it was just very, um, restrictive and not in line with the standard practice of care. And when we activated, we have such a small network in South Dakota, but um the folks who we did reach out to in our network, they really stepped up. They showed up to testify and they helped us defeat the bill.
00:19:20
Speaker
We did it together as a as a community um with other advocacy partners, with ASRM as well. And I think that was really amazing to see. and um Over you know the past year and a half that I've been here, so and even before that, you know there's been so many anti-family building um bills that have been introduced. And each time, Resolve has been, if not like leading the conversation at the table or involved in defeating those bills. And so right now, um access to IVF is still available to everybody in all 50 states. or it's still protected. um So I think that is you know amazing considering how much we've been up against, particularly this past year or so. Yeah, for sure.
00:20:11
Speaker
There's so many families that are navigating this, just the financial strain of it, but also that emotional strain.
00:20:22
Speaker
What are maybe just the biggest gaps that you're seeing across the country still that Resolve is wanting to continue to move forward?
00:20:33
Speaker
um I really think that, you know, this patchwork system at the state level is really, um it's allowing a lot of people to fall through the cracks. And um I think, you know, a handful of states post the Alabama court ruling in 2024 introduced IVF protection laws that, you know, guarantee that you have the right to access this care, which is good. But um to take it a step further and to allow people to actually have the access to this care, they need insurance coverage. we think that's the best way to go about it. And so um we're really continuing to push in certain states that you would, I think some folks would kind of expect would be more on board. It's been it's been difficult. um I think um the budgets in a lot of states have really been a barrier for us um in terms of expanding access and adding costs to the state is not really in a lot of um
00:21:35
Speaker
there's not a lot of wiggle room in a lot of state budgets this year. i know, um you know, there's, there's larger conversations around Medicaid cuts and everything that's also kind of playing into this, into how we are strategically moving in the policy space. But it's, it's been really challenging in terms of state, expanding state insurance mandates in some states we've been trying in for a really long time.
00:22:01
Speaker
And so we've been we've been kind of working on our strategy and trying to figure out more creative ways and to expand access to care. And in Virginia is kind of one way that we've, or a new track that we're kind of taking with in terms of adding fertility care benefits to the essential health benefits and it's part of the ACA market exchange. yeah And that's the Virginia bill that's kind of working its way through the process now. And it's been pretty smooth sailing. so um Okay, touch wood. Yeah, so far. So that's a new avenue that we're kind of exploring in terms of expanding the markets that we're able to add fertility care benefits to.
00:22:42
Speaker
When it comes from an advocacy standpoint, as far as maybe surrogacy and egg donation specifically, how are these paths being represented or maybe even misrepresented in policy conversations?
00:23:01
Speaker
Yeah, this year we've actually seen quite a few bad and regulatory and restrictive and bills about surrogacy. And I think there's been a lot of stories in the media that um have influenced that, to be honest. um And um it's been really concerning. And particularly in Florida, there's been quite a couple of, um there's a court case in Florida and and a couple of bills that have have made it their way through that are really going to restrict um
00:23:35
Speaker
who can build their family via surrogacy in the state of Florida. And so that's um really something that we're trying to figure out the best way to change the narrative and to um you know just really focus on on the fact that the folks who are who need these um services don't have the, it's already difficult to access. And so, you know, putting up these legal parameters is only going to make it that much harder. um So it's been um in the surrogacy and gestational carrier space, it's been really difficult this year in terms of policy.
00:24:20
Speaker
What do you wish more leaders understood about third party reproduction and why it matters that it should be protected and that these conversations need to be had?
00:24:34
Speaker
I think it just kind of goes back to the the storytelling element. I think more of them need to be in contact with the folks that who have been trying for, you know, some folks up to years to, you know have gone through IVF themselves or other fertility care treatments and have not been successful and need to, for medical reasons, move to the next step, next step of perhaps third party. help. And so i think we've got to get more, we've got to find a better way for the lawmakers to, you know, see these families and understand the, the, the struggles that they faced and also the real desire to build their families. And we know that that's a, a nonpartisan issue, a bipartisan issue. is And so we know that this,
00:25:22
Speaker
This is something that ah you know most people agree on. So we've got to figure out a better way to get everybody to understand where folks who might need third party reproduction, where they're coming from. Yeah, for sure.
00:25:36
Speaker
the i love that the more than theme really emphasizes that infertility doesn't look just one way.
00:25:47
Speaker
From your vantage point, Who do you feel like is still being left out of the conversation? Yeah, that's a great question. And honestly, that's part of why Resolve earlier this year expanded our name. We're Resolve, the National Infertility and Family Building Association. And that kind of, that better reflects the full community that we serve and our commitment to supporting all paths to parenthood, including folks that have resolved their families and are childless, not by choice. I think that's that's a community that we are really going to
00:26:24
Speaker
strategically focus on providing resources and education to support. And I think that this expanded name change is really kind of and embodies that.
00:26:35
Speaker
So i your question about the the theme, I think that, you know, that's exactly why we it was it's a very inclusive theme. We, know, we've spent years talking about building the visibility, which is what National Infertility Awareness Week does. and And now we're kind of shifting and really focused on what comes next, which is the action part. And so, you know, intentionally building a bridge this year. from awareness to action. and we've got this year, we are, this is our inaugural month of action that will take place throughout the month of May, starting May 1st. And it's, you know, not just about telling stories, it's also about organizing those stories into collective action. We've got a full 31 days worth of activities and ways to engage with lawmakers to to help build digital storytelling. and We've got advocacy 101 webinars. We also got webinars with some of the partners in our space that don't necessarily only serve the infertility community, but intersect in a lot of the work that they do. So kind of shining a light on what those intersections are and how we can broaden our are community.
00:27:51
Speaker
And you know we're working in alliance with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine on this and bringing together the patient and provider voice. And the goal really is to meet people where they are and also direct engagement with policymakers. And we're trying to make advocacy feel more accessible and also more urgent because it is. And I think, you know, this month is really the month of May will be meant for, you know, current advocates to kind of level up their leadership that they've been building, who may have been continuous advocates for NIAW, been looking for more ways to get involved and introduce them. and also new advocates to what Resolve does and what we fight for and for our state and federal lawmakers to hear from them about why fertility and family building issues matter. So we're really excited about this new initiative that kind of builds from National Infertility Awareness Week, which ends on the 25th, and then we'll start on the 1st with our month of action. So we're really excited about about all that's to come in the next couple of weeks.
00:29:00
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. i love that because you're right. NIAW is, it's such an amazing week and it really does bring so much awareness to something that one in six are affected by. yeah I guarantee that we all know someone at least personally, or we know of someone by someone else that is affected by this. And I, it doesn't just end on the 25th. It doesn't end at the end of the week. There is so much to do. i love this month of action that can give you steps and it doesn't feel overwhelming and it doesn't feel daunting and it's, you know, Oh gosh, Capitol Hill or you you know, whatever it may be. Um, that is so fantastic.
00:29:44
Speaker
If, You could speak directly to policymakers. What's the just one more that feels so urgent? I think the sense of urgency now is that the media attention and the the fact that infertility is such a um a kitchen table topic now. i think particularly I'm a millennial, so I know um a lot of my friends are in this
00:30:15
Speaker
in the thick of it right now and their family building journey and whatever form that's taking. And so I think, I really think that education at the lawmaker level and also at the patient level um is really where i think
00:30:33
Speaker
I think we could see the most impact in educating people on and lawmakers in particular on you know what kind of impact expanding access to this type of care will have on real families. I think when you know advocates are talking to their lawmakers and they're explaining exactly what the the links that they've gone to financially, you know folks have refinance their mortgages, are taking on second jobs at you know maybe a company that offers fertility care benefits because their primary job doesn't. They're going into debt. They're you know creating GoFundMes. I think the real world impact of you know not not having access to this kind of care and coverage, I think is...
00:31:18
Speaker
the most impactful storytelling that that we have and really understanding what what folks are willing to to do to grow their family and to build their family and realize their dreams of the family that they've that they've you know thought about for years and have really struggled to to build. So I think education in terms of for lawmakers to understand that and then for the patients to really understand the type of impact that has on lawmakers, I think is is the one more.
00:31:51
Speaker
Yeah, for sure Why do you think community matters so much when it comes to infertility advocacy. Yeah, that's a great,
00:32:07
Speaker
question. I think, you know, the the theme of our month of action is the power of we. um and I think it's so perfect because we're really trying to build and grow our community to include folks that who maybe have not yet thought about what their family journey, building journey is going to look like. And the folks that are in it right now and the folks that have been through it and have been a resolve at a loyal resolve advocate. um And then I really engaged one for years who can really help teach and train and lead.
00:32:43
Speaker
lead the the folks that are kind of coming up behind them in this journey. So I think building our community generationally is really exciting. And also across in the advocacy space in particular, building our community between, you know, disease organizations like the cancer groups, endometriosis groups, PCOS groups, sickle cell groups. We're really trying and men's infertility as well. We're really trying to, um,
00:33:11
Speaker
bring everybody into the fold who touches this space and realize, and we know that we're all going to be stronger and better and more powerful, the larger and and the broader our depth goes. So I think that's, that's the really important and impactful part of community.
00:33:28
Speaker
yeah I love that so much because you're so right. All of those spaces that you just talked about, whether it's like you said, cancer or sickle cell or all of these other diseases that you just don't even think about the trickle down effect of what that could lead to other areas of your life. And I love that those connections are being made. Yeah.
00:33:53
Speaker
What is just with everything going on, What gives you hope right now?
00:34:02
Speaker
um I think it's really the advocates. We are really excited for this for this month of action for International Infertility Awareness Week. We've been seeing people get it getting really excited. We've got some new changes coming to the way that we do things in terms of our federal advocacy. So this month of action, we're excited to kind of pilot it. And so I think you know hearing the community be excited about different ways to get involved and meeting them where they're at and being able to really meet this moment that's, you know, at the national level now. um
00:34:42
Speaker
You know, it's been a really long time coming, I think. And so we just really want to maximize on this. um So I think the our patient advocates and our resolve community is really what gives me hope for sure.
00:34:57
Speaker
I love that. If someone listening today is feeling defined by their diagnosis, what would you want them to hear during this National Infertility Awareness Week?
00:35:16
Speaker
Oh, um I would say, you know, our theme is perfectly positioned to kind of address that you are more than that community that you can build.
00:35:28
Speaker
in this space and the the resources and the the folks who have have gone through this journey before and have so many resources and so much wisdom to share and also support to give. i think, you know, that's the the more than that we're trying to build upon and really to, again, to bring it back to the sense of community that you're not alone in this. And there's a huge community of people generation generationally now that are, you know,
00:35:58
Speaker
hear and have the the support and the resources and the encouragement and the empowerment to keep going. Yeah. Oh, I love that. Elise, I'm so grateful for the work that you're doing, for everything that is upcoming and going. i mean, it it it can feel, it's so easy for advocacy to feel distant or political, but you've done such an amazing job of reminding us that it really is about real people and just honestly
00:36:33
Speaker
hope I have one last question for you and it's a fun one. um You've seen me this whole time sipping on my lovely warm beverage. um Coffee and I, we are never far from one another. And so I always love to ask the question, what has filled your cup today? Literally or figuratively, what has been the thing that has filled your cup?
00:36:58
Speaker
Oh, literally iced latte. It's now finally warm enough in DC to kind of switch over to an iced drink. So really excited about that.
00:37:11
Speaker
We've had a really rough winter in DC. um So happy to see the sun and to have some warmth. um And then work-wise, I would say, um you know, we're, we are working now you know,
00:37:26
Speaker
a in-person Hill Day that we're hosting this year. It's going really small, but the advocates that we've, um are bringing together are I'm really excited to meet them in person and um to be with them, to do some leadership training, some in-depth kind of advocacy training. They're really excited about the opportunity and um I think it's going to be a really great um ah really great moment, a really great couple days in D.C. I think in-person advocacy is um really like the most impactful. And I think seeing real people who have real stories to share is really the the.
00:38:11
Speaker
the thing that moves the needle. So I'm excited and our advocates that we're bringing together are really excited. So I think that's that's filling my cup today. I love that you've been refreshed and I love that you have something to look forward to. yeah Again, thank you so much. And you've said it already, but I just, one more time, we for National Infertility Awareness, you can go you can go to resolve.org and then the month of action starts May 1st. And to find out more about that, everybody just needs to go to resolve.org.
00:38:46
Speaker
Yes. The Infertility, National Infertility Awareness because it's own page actually, infertilityawareness.org. Perfect. But yes, the month of action will be on resolve.org.
00:38:57
Speaker
Perfect. Awesome. Well, thank you so much just for everything you're doing, the heart that you bring to this. I know everybody listening, just head to resolve.org to find out how you can help. And um again, I'm just, I'm so grateful for all that you have done and all that you continue to be doing in this space. So thank you, Elise. Thanks, Whitney.