Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • to a health story Beyond the headlines of Exco VID crisis Across the country, women undergoing fertility treatments have been forced to put their dreams on hold.

  • Is hospitals and physicians scale back on non emergency procedures?

  • Ah, harsh setback for so many additional heartache in an already emotional journey.

  • A.

  • B C's Aerial, Russia reports.

  • And I knew going into disappointment that there was a really good chance they were going to cancel it.

  • The heartbreaking burden of the cove it 19 crisis stretches far beyond fighting.

  • The virus itself, coated, 19 has basically but ah Holt Teoh everything that we've been striving for over the last 3.5 years for terror angle Berg and her husband, Glenn of Colorado.

  • Their grueling struggle with infertility has come to a temporary crossroads.

  • Fertility treatment for us is really possibly the only waiting you ever have a child, and we were days away from our treatment when open 19.

  • Put a stop on our care the dangers of the pandemic, prompting hundreds of doctors nationwide to scale back fertility treatments out of concern for the safety of their patients and staff.

  • Since we were in the middle of her treatment At that time, we did have a choice, and it's it was terrifying.

  • Teoh be in that position where, you know, probably the best outcome for everyone is to stop treatment.

  • But your heart is just so broken because this is what you've been reading for.

  • Terra has been candidly documenting her story on Instagram to connect with others shooting this video just after that visit to the doctor.

  • Then I'm perfectly like, Okay, what's that?

  • Because I know it's what's best, a painful pause to a journey already fraught with anxiety and anguish.

  • It's just unknown territory and very scary times.

  • It's a very scary and emotional rollercoaster.

  • Infertility affects more than 10% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 44.

  • Dr.

  • Glenn Schattman of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York is among the fertility specialists who dramatically reduced procedures, a decision not taken lightly way he saw the writing on the wall, so the number of cases going up exponentially.

  • We saw there was no sure of this disease there was the trip of this is easy.

  • I think there's a tradeoff there that, um being socially responsible and having a pausing treatment for a short period of time was the right thing to do so For Dr Chatman's patient, Catherine Mendez, it's another challenges.

  • She tries to start a family on her own at the age of 42.

  • Like once you.

  • Once you make the decision and you start that ball rolling, any additional obstacle that comes, I think it really throws you for a loop.

  • How difficult is it to have this conversation with patients who are already going through such an emotional journey?

  • It's very difficult.

  • Everyone is time sensitive.

  • Infertility is a disease.

  • Let's get that out in the open right now.

  • This is a disease that needs to be treated.

  • This is also time sensitive, where months and years that difference in the chance that a couple or individual bill to conceive at all in the future.

  • Physicians forced to balance that urgency in the midst of so many unknowns, data is extremely limited on how Kobe, 19 affects women trying to get pregnant.

  • If somebody got sick during stimulation and they were hyper singly, who are they?

  • I don't know the effects of this virus up early pregnancy.

  • We didn't think it was in the best interest of the patient sticky to continue treatment.

  • That was a hard decision.

  • It's not easy.

  • But despite the unforeseen delay, Catherine is staying upbeat.

  • I think I'm staying positive and I'm looking forward to starting back up again.

  • But are there reasons that you're hopeful?

  • Um, but I hope it's going way, are hopeful that were in good health.

  • We're still in a relatively young, everything considered and and we know that the future is bright, even though it doesn't always seem that way.

  • Is there anything else you would say to other women going through this right now?

  • I would say that you're not alone.

  • Ariel Rash, F, ABC News, New York And we certainly remain hopeful on their behalf and our thanks to area hi, everyone.

  • George Stephanopoulos here.

  • Thanks for checking out the ABC News YouTube channel.

  • If you'd like to get more video show highlights and watch live event coverage, click on the right over here to subscribe to our channel.

  • And don't forget to download the ABC News after breaking news alerts.

to a health story Beyond the headlines of Exco VID crisis Across the country, women undergoing fertility treatments have been forced to put their dreams on hold.

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it