When Margeaux Kennedy’s husband, Capt. Niall Kennedy, was injured a year and a half ago, her first thought was for his survival. Her second was to wonder if their dreams of a family had been destroyed.

“The day I found out my husband would never walk again, I also found out I may not be able to be a mom,” she said.

A bill introduced to the U.S. Senate by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and co-sponsored in the House of Representatives by Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Dist. 2) would expand access to fertility treatments to disabled veterans, as well as their spouses and surrogates.

There have been more pelvic fractures and genitourinary injuries sustained by troops in Afghanistan and Iraq due to the reliance on foot patrols and the use of improvised explosive devices. The unexpected consequence of these injuries and others, is that nearly 2,000 returning veterans have lost their ability to reproduce.

“A Pentagon study … revealed that since 2003, more than 1,800 military personnel have suffered injuries that have impacted their ability to have a family,” Murray said during a press conference in Seattle Oct. 9.

“I believe it is our responsibility to do everything we can to help fulfill the wishes and dreams of every service member,” Murray continued. “It’s time for America to do the right thing for these men and women.”

The Women Veterans and Other Health Care Improvement Act of 2012 would provide enhanced reproductive treatment and care options, such as in vitro fertilization through the VA; would make a spouse or surrogate eligible for the same treatment as a wounded veteran; and would provide for research, childcare for veterans seeking readjustment counseling and outreach programs.

“The wounds in Iraq and Afghanistan are different than other wars,” said Larsen. “The VA has expressly excluded IVF treatment even when a veteran’s infertility is the direct result of a war injury.”

Larsen and Murray said the proposed bill would bring reproductive and fertility treatments at the VA in line with what is already being offered by Tricare for active duty service members. But it takes it a step further by allowing a veteran’s spouse and/or a surrogate to receive coverage for procedures like IVF, which can be costly.

Coast Guard veteran Gary Pearson was paralyzed in a car accident in 1973. When he married 10 years later, he and his wife pursued IVF.

“When you hear you’ll probably never have a child, it’s very disheartening,” Pearson said. “The procedures and options were extremely limited for us. It took us a year and a half to conceive.”

Pearson’s twin boys are now 21.

Sean Halsted, a former Air Force Combat Controller, was 27 years old and had been married to his wife, Sarah, for a year when he was injured during a training mission in 1998.

“In my mind, (having a family) was impossible,” he said.

“It took five years for us to even decide if we were going to survive this injury as a couple,” said Sarah. “When we started to look at the process, we felt IVF was the best option for us.”

Their twins were conceived through IVF in 2004, as was their daughter, who is now three. The Halsteads spent between $15,000 and $20,000 out of pocket to conceive their children. While they are extremely thankful for their family, Sarah said they would have welcomed help with the cost of treatment and hopes the proposed bill will be approved when Congress goes back to Washington, D.C. after the general election.

“It feels like the right thing to do,” she said.

While the medical option exists for many of these couples, having to pay for the treatments themselves means it is out of reach.

Niall and Margeaux Kennedy will have to save for up to eight years to be able to afford infertility treatments, following an injury that has left Niall in a wheelchair.
Kathy Reed photo

“Right now there is no way for us to pay for IVF out of pocket, because there are so many costs associated with living with a disability,” said Margeaux Kennedy, who was forced to quit work to become a full-time care provider for her husband, who is still an active duty soldier at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

“We had to divert our goals into other things,” she continued. “We’ll have to wait seven or eight years in order to be prepared financially (for IVF treatments). It feels insulting as a spouse and a caretaker that I’m not covered.”

Larsen said that because the benefit is needed by such a small percentage of veterans, the cost for the VA to provide the treatment would not be overwhelming and said he felt confident the funding to administer the program could be found.

“As the father of two teenage boys, I understand both the joy and frustration of being a parent,” said Larsen. “But that joy is something that all our men and women in the military should be able to experience.”

“I’d like to see other veterans not have to pay those costs out-of-pocket,” said Pearson.

Niall Kennedy had strong words for politicians in the nation’s capital.

“This is where our policy makers can be there for (our wounded warriors). If not, it’s akin to de facto sterilization,” he said. “If the current policy of inaction continues, it will rank among the worst atrocities in American history.”

“As specialists, all my colleagues agree this is a solid step to provide a service to many veterans who are unable to conceive a child,” said Dr. Lori Marshall, with Pacific Northwest Fertility and IVF Specialists in Seattle.

“It’s time to get the VA back into the 21st century,” said Sen. Murray. “I want Margeaux to have her dream again.”