A message from the author Byron Silver

It’s hard to forget how confused and overwhelmed we were when we started our IVF journey, not knowing what’s right, what’s wrong, what to do, what not to do, how it all works and how many variables were involved. Accessing open-source IVF information resources was confusing and the hardest of all is we were unable to validate our thoughts and emotions through shared experiences. The stigma attached to IVF and infertility is real!

The scales of life are rarely balanced, none more so to me than the juxtaposition of IVF sacrifice between me and my wife. It hardly seems fair she has to overcome a sever needle phobia, undergo multiple rounds of egg collection, participate in god knows how many internal examinations and blood tests, experience hyperstimulation, manage physical and hormonal changes beyond her control, have her daily life completely railroaded in the hope of conceiving and effectively manage her mental health during failed cycles – when all I had to do masturbate, in what seemed disturbingly similar to a dentist’s chair and not miss the cup.

People often create purpose from pain and my selfless, kindhearted and overwhelmingly inspirational wife just did that. During one of our emotionally harder IVF days, my wife told me about her mission to stop as many people as she possible could from feeling the sense of isolation and uncertainty the way we did and, in her brilliance, created a podcast dedicated to providing IVF/Infertility anecdotes and an array of information from leading fertility medical experts.  What to Expect When You’re Injecting podcast was created with the purpose of information sharing but what she designed is something far more remarkable…..HOPE.

I’ve witnessed the growth of her mission achieve astonishing results becoming a source of hope and inspiration to thousands of people around the world. Her dedication and contribution to the trying to conceive community is undoubtedly the most inspirational thing I’ve witnessed.

How naive of me to think that becoming a parent and raising a family to the size of your choosing was a certainty. What’s even more arrogantly unsuspecting of me is discovering how much I (as a male) contributed to our infertility. Undergoing treatment is difficult and the process is immensely taxing, emotionally, financially and for some of us physically but the irony in it all is the IVF journey for me personally has also been a powerful experience of self-discovery and personal reflection.

Pricilla the Gorilla and Jack the Silver is written with gentle nods towards the world of IVF and emulates the love and compassion two people share going through the process.

Cassie Silver, you are my motivation behind the creation of Pricilla the Gorilla and Jack the Silver Back. I will never be able to contribute to the infertility community to the same magnitude as you, but hopefully this book provides a little more hope and happiness.

The luckiest day of my life was the day I met my wife. The wisest day of my life was asking her to marry me. The happiest day of my life was becoming her husband. The proudest day of my life is becoming a father.

To my wife…

Thank you for your sacrifice.

Thank you for your patience.

Thank you for your strength and will.

Thank you for your kindness.

Thank you for your love.

Most of all thank you for honoring me with the title of “Dad”.