A long, tough journey toward motherhood

DARAGA, Albay — For 12 years, the Lucila couple, Charissa and Noli, had hoped for their own bundle of joy. But all the cards seemed stacked against them.

When Charissa was 18, her doctor warned her that she might never be able to get pregnant, as she had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome — a hormonal condition that is a leading cause of infertility since it disrupts normal ovulation.

"That news shattered me. I was devastated, but I was determined to find a way. All through my college days, I was on different medications," the bank manager said in English and Filipino.

Not one to give false hopes, she said she opened up about her condition while her husband was still wooing her during her final year of college.

"From the very beginning, he understood and offered unwavering support," she said.

But the reality of not being able to conceive eventually set in after their marriage. With societal expectations weighing heavily on her shoulders, Charissa said their season of waiting was a journey paved with so much uncertainty.

"After we got married, we tried everything. We consulted different doctors and tried various medications, but nothing worked. My body just was not responding. Eventually, it all became too much — emotionally, financially, and physically," she said.

Years of hormone treatments and countless negative tests led the couple to quietly lay their dream to rest.

"We knew we could not afford the IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatments, so we simply surrendered everything to God. Through the years, my prayer was simple: 'Thy will be done.'"

Then the pandemic happened.

With the subsequent lockdowns restricting mobility, the couple could not travel to Manila for tests or checkups, so Charissa was forced to stop all her medications.

"Looking back, I think the pandemic gave my body the rest that I badly needed," she said.

In 2022, Charissa decided to have another checkup.

"My doctor told me that one of my ovaries looked normal and only one was polycystic. It felt like a spark of hope, like maybe my body was finally starting to work on its own. I even started getting regular periods," she said.

It was not until two years later, however, that the couple's long-awaited prayer was finally answered.