Anne Xavier Altamore, Australia
I am childless not by choice after spending more than a decade on the IVF roller coaster. I always thought I had a full life with a rewarding career, dreams and goals, of which motherhood was just one small piece. But the overwhelming grief I felt with each failed cycle showed me that even a small dream lost can be a devastating experience.
What I grappled with most was the lonely aloneness of infertility, treatment cycles, and then making the decision to live a childless life.
My journey to understanding grief and loss, healing and fulness, included completing a Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy and founding Life After IVF to provide a safe healing space for all who have disembarked the fertility treatment roller coaster.
I am mom to two beautiful furbabies and when I am not cuddling them, I cook, read, and dabble in writing stories.
I recently read a line that said I heal loudly because I suffered silently my whole life. I am honoured to be a World Childless Week Ambassador as this space provides the perfect environment to heal loudly. As we come together from across the globe to be seen, heard, and share our experiences of loss and joy, within a supportive community, we give ourselves the freedom to remove the shame, stigma, and invisibility of childlessness.