Chrissy Teigen and John Legend went through a lot in 2020. Last year was definitely a hard time for many people around the world. Chrissy and John celebrated the unexpected conception of their third child, a boy they called Jack, and then they suddenly lost him at 20 weeks gestation.
Chrissy recently opened up about the loss of Jack to People magazine, and also added that she still doesn't see a world in which she doesn't have more children. She and John were able to conceive their older children, Luna and Miles, through IVF, and now Chrissy has become an advocate for the procedure and wants to ensure that as many people as possible have access to it.
Chrissy talks about this and more in the interview.
Chrissy told the magazine that she can't even picture her life without more kids, and then explains that she believes anyone who wants IVF should be able to access it:
"For me what's really important is being able to make sure that everybody has access to those ways and making sure that people are able to make their dreams come true. It would just be a beautiful thing."
She also adds that IVF is entirely too expensive, a reality that many who want to have children know all too well:
"It's so incredibly expensive to freeze your eggs and to harvest them. IVF isn't an option for a lot of people and it needs to be. It shouldn't be such an expensive endeavor for a woman trying to conceive a child."
On average, one cycle of IVF costs $12,000 in the United States, and that price tag typically doesn't include the cost of any associated medications. Verywell Family shared the results of a recent study of couples undergoing IVF: "The average couple spent $19,234. For every additional cycle, couples spent on average an additional $6,955. So, according to this study, if a couple went through three cycles, that added up to a little over $33,000 in out-of-pocket expenses."
In Europe, one cycle of IVF can cost between $2,500 and $5,000, and the price tag can reach up to $6,000 in the UK. Time magazine reports that many European women travel to Denmark, where the cost of IVF is relatively affordable.
Losing their son Jack was devastating for Chrissy and John. She also told the magazine about how the family is honoring their fifth member at their new home:
"It's important for us in Thai tradition that we always embrace the ones we've lost, and they're never, ever gone. This tree being planted inside the home, the whole reason why I wanted it was so Jack's ashes could be in that soil and he could be with us all the time and grow through the beautiful leaves in this tree."
She adds that she's being very open about Jack with Luna and Miles:
"The way Miles and Luna talk about him is so beautiful and reminds me of when I was little talking to my grandpa who was just sitting bedside next to my mom in a little urn. It's all beautiful, and I love that tradition carries down."
