Coastal Fertility Partners with HelpCureHD to Help Protect Families from Huntington's Disease

IRVINE, Calif., May 30, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Coastal Fertility Medical Center, a part of the RSMC network, is pleased to announce that it has teamed up with HelpCureHD Foundation to help Huntington's Disease prone parents give birth to HD-free babies. As a part of this partnership, Coastal Fertility will donate IVF cycles to HelpCureHD to award its grant recipients. HelpCureHD's PGT-IVF grant program offers monetary assistance to help couples conceive HD-Free children.

On the other hand, Coastal Fertility is dedicated to providing the highest quality reproductive services with compassionate patient care.

A hereditary brain disorder, Huntington's Disease currently has no cure. In the United States, more than 30,000 people suffer from this condition. The HelpCureHD Foundation was created by the Houston Astros pitcher Joe Smith and his wife and TNT Sports reporter Allie LaForce, inspired by his mother's struggles with Huntington's Disease. The organization aims to improve the quality of life for HD sufferers by providing them financial, mental, and emotional support while looking for the cure.

In 2018, HelpCureHD started working on its PGT-IVF grant program for families affected by Huntington's Disease. On average, the PGT-IVF procedure costs around $30,000. The grant from HelpCureHD covers the cost of pre-cycle screening fees, fertility medication, IVF procedure costs, and genetic testing of the embryos. The selected applicants receive funding for one round of PGT-IVF and can reapply for a future grant if the IVF is unsuccessful. The current grant cycle will close on May 31, 2021, and HelpCureHD will announce the winner in June.

Couples with a family history of HD are encouraged to apply at https://helpcurehd.org/application-2-3/.

Although there is no cure for HD, PGT-IVF is an advanced procedure that helps parents ensure their children are HD-free. Pre-implantation Genetic Testing or PGT-M screens embryos for HD before implantation using in-vitro fertilization (IVF). As a result, couples can prevent their children from inheriting and passing on this condition.

A typical PGT-M involves testing embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) and then transferring unaffected embryos, following the steps mentioned below.

• The PGT-M lab will test for specific conditions unique to each family.
• In vitro fertilization is performed, and the resulting embryos are incubated.
• An embryologist carefully removes a small cell sample from each embryo.
• Samples are sent to the PGT-M laboratory, testing is performed, and results are released to the IVF center.
• An unaffected embryo is transferred.

Dr. Lawrence B. Werlin, the founder and Medical Director of Coastal Fertility Medical Center, is considered to be a pioneer in the field of Pre-implantation Genetic Testing (PGT), previously known as Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). The PGT procedure involves the screening of chromosomes and genes of an embryo to test for defects and abnormalities. Dr. Werlin has carried out two groundbreaking studies to assess the efficacy of PGT. The first study was about IVF failure in women 38 years and older, and the second one investigated the effects of PGT for women in high-risk categories. His recently released TikTok video announcing successful IVF pregnancy went viral and was covered by all major media sites across the US.

Visit Coastal Fertility Medical Center's on Facebook and Instagram page to stay updated about the PGT-IVF grant, infertility, and its treatment options.

To find out more about Coastal Fertility Medical Center, please visit https://coastalfertility.com.

About Coastal Fertility Medical Center:
Part of the RSMC network, Coastal Fertility Medical Center has been one of Orange County's leading providers of reproductive care to infertility patients in Orange County since 1982. Coastal Fertility and its dedicated staff are widely recognized for their compassion and their special attention to the individual needs of their patients.

Media Contact

Julianna Nikolic, Coastal Fertility Medical Center, +1 8583427002, [email protected]

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SOURCE Coastal Fertility Medical Center