Philadelphia resident Eliza Hardy Jones was able to start a family thanks to abortion and IVF, writes Ashley Adams for The Keystone.

The talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter and her husband, Andrew Jones, decided to have a baby in 2017. Hardy Jones was 36 at the time. However, their natural attempts were unsuccessful.

“I started seeing doctors and got diagnosed with a few different health issues that were certainly contributing to my inability to do it on our own,” said Hardy Jones.

After several other methods failed, the couple opted for in vitro fertilization (IVF). But the first attempt did not produce any viable embryos.

The second attempt produced three, but after implantation, Hardy Jones had an incomplete miscarriage. She underwent a dilation and curettage to remove the remaining fetal cells from her uterus, but it turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy — a potentially life-threatening emergency that can result in major internal bleeding.

After numerous appointments, tests, and procedures, the ectopic pregnancy was effectively terminated.

The couple ran out of options, until an old friend offered them one leftover embryo from their own IVF. They accepted, and as a result, they now have a 6-month-old baby boy.

“It has been a difficult process,” said Hardy Jones. “Having this opportunity to have this kind of joy in our life is amazing.”

Read more about the long, tough journey to starting this family in The Keystone.

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