Sandra's Story: Heart defect, 24 IVF rounds, 2 surrogates

Pregnancy can be life-changing — but for Sandra, it could have been life-threatening. Born with a congenital heart defect, she was told carrying a baby could put both her life and her child’s at risk. In this powerful episode of the Heart to Heart Fertility Podcast, Dr. Janelle Luk sits down with Sandra to share her extraordinary eight-year journey through IVF, surrogacy, and the courage it took to become a mother against all odds.Sandra opens up about the emotional and physical challenges of doing 24 egg retrievals — many without anesthesia due to her cardiac condition — and the difficult medical trauma she carried from childhood. Together with Dr. Luk, she reflects on the bond between doctor and patient, the compassion that carried her through, and the strength it takes to keep going when the odds seem impossible.