Life Medals
The Dawn of an Inspirational Jewelry Company . . .
The one thing I always knew for sure was I wanted to be a wife and mother. I finally met the man of my dreams online when I was 37. I was a happy and confident sales professional. He was a tall, dark, handsome attorney from Southern California. He wanted a family just as much as I did. I loved him more than I thought possible. I agreed that I would leave my life in Wisconsin to be with him. Although we talked early and often about marriage he procrastinated on setting a date.OK, I rationalized we could wait on the marriage but because of my age we didn't have time to wait on starting a family. We tried naturally but due to male "factors" we progressed quickly to infertility treatments. I underwent intense shots, pills, and procedures. In the midst of treatment he told me we would not marry until I became pregnant. He "would not be in a childless marriage" and he "would not adopt." Ouch. Although I did everything in my power to make our dream of children come true, it didn't happen quickly or easy enough for him. He dumped me by e-mail while I was back in Wisconsin. The "man of my dreams" refused to see or speak to me ever again.
To say I was devastated is an understatement. Through a lawyer I was told that my ex wanted our embryos destroyed or held hostage from me in a forever frozen limbo. I felt like I was drowning emotionally and now he was fighting to kill the life we created. I was 40, unemployed, without the man I loved, or the children I dreamed of my whole life. I had been a Cancer Warrior and survived a rare form in my early 30's, had traveled alone overseas and jumped out of a plane at 10,000 feet, but I had never felt so scared or hopeless.With the support of my family, I had moments of strength, optimism, and hope for a brighter future. How could I find the silver lining in my heartbreak? How would I pick up the pieces and rebuild a life full of meaning and purpose? I invented an alter-ego - the Infertility Warrior and started blogging to connect with, raise awareness, and empower other women battling infertility. I began envisioning a company that offered quality products with meaning to help people survive, thrive, and celebrate their lives.
Check out her website and see how you can be inspired: http://www.lifemedals.com/
Patrice Behrend Founder/CEO Life Medals, LLC
