San Diego Fertility Center Testimonials
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Letters from our Patients
I promise that not a day goes by that I do not thank our wonderful Lord for your
center and the gifted staff that runs it.
Although I was very insecure about going through this whole process in the begining
due to the tremendeous pain and losses that we had suffered, the dignity, great
caring and human understanding of your staff helped me feel more at ease and in so I
gained more confidence through the procedures.
IT WAS AL SOOOO WORTH IT!!!! I/we look at our precious boy & thank GOD for gifted Dr's such as Dr Hummel and Dr
Kettel. Brian is now 13 months old and has kept us on our toes, he decided to skip crawling
and went straight to walking at nine months!!!
It seems that at every step he is ahead of himself.
Brian has a very sunny personality,loves long walks, and drools with joy and
excitement at the sight and in particular the sound of motorcycles, he is very vocal
and loves to play hide and seek.
Brian is a wonderful and healthy bundle of joy.
Without your center and the gifts that GOD provided you all with we would not have
him.
GOD bless you all!! Dr Hummel, you were right about that sweet spot!!!
I pray that you find it again when we go in for a second round!!
May God keep you around for ever so that you can continue to provide such joy to
others like us and in so filling the world with the most precious gift of all,
LIFE!!!
Dear Dr. Hummel and Staff,
It is with a heart full of gratitude that we write this. You have made the entire
process a wonderful experience with your knowledge and compassion. Every question that we had was answered with patience and extreme care was given to
us, our gestational surrogate and our unborn twins. We never thought our dream of children would ever be realized, but through your wonderful services we have two adorable and healthy twin boys. Thank you for all you have done and we unhesitantly recommend you and your staff to
any couple looking to start or expand their family.
After years of trying to have a baby, my wife and I finally found success with Dr. Kettel and the San Diego Fertility Center. Both Dr. Kettel and Dr. Hummel are extremely professional with excellent bed side manners. The entire staff of SDFC have the right blend of caring, optimism, but tempered with realism. Our experience there was great, and we will always be reminded of SDFC every time we look at our beautiful little girl. Thank you Dr. Kettel. Happy patient who gave birth 7/24/06 to a little baby girl.
We just want to thank everyone in the office that helped make our little miracle.
Without all of you she would not have been possible. Thank you again for
everything. Mother of Elizabeth, born 12/13/06
My deepest thanks and apprecation to Dr. Kettel and the entire team at SDFC. This November (2006) I gave birth to triplets. Lilly Claire 4lbs & 2oz, Johnny Andor 4lbs & 11oz, and Olivia Grace 4lbs & 4oz. We are truely blessed.
After being diagnosed with PCOS, we knew that trying to conceive a baby was going to be a little more difficult than the average couple. After trying for seven years, we were given a referral to see Dr. Kettel. AFter two attemps we were finally given the good news that I was pregnant! All of the staff have been wonderful nad we are so very thankful that we were given the opportunity to work with such a wonderful, professional and caring group of people. I can't thank you enough for all you have done for us.
M.K. proud mother of Kainoa, born 01/08/2006
We are so thrilled, so happy! Each and every one of you are amazing, amazing people. Tammy, Dr. Hummel, Bill our embryologist (even though he is a Yankee fan) ... You helped make our dream come true. We have the most adorable son and it is thanks to all of you - we cannot thank you enough for this incredible miracle. All the best, and we'll see you next time :)
Parents of Jackson Cooper
born 02/18/06
We are happy to announce the birth of our two girls! The babies and mother are doing great. We couldn't have done it without you. Your staff and facility were great!
Parents of Sarah Brooke and Elizabeth Noelle born 02/10/06
This is the best facility I have ever received medical treatment. Dr. Hummel and his staff were so supportive, kind and considerate of us. They always took the time we needed and were always there to answer all our questions and concerns. We are lucky enough to have the two best children, who we consider our "miracles". We are very grateful, more than words can say for Jason and his 2-year old brother Eric, who without Dr. Hummel and his staff would not be here. We always wanted two children and Dr. Hummel helped make all our dreams come true. We will always be grateful to him and his staff. Please also let Frankie know how touched we were by her phone calls to see how we were doing while I was pregnant. Thank you everyone for everything!
N.B., proud new mother of Jason Parker born 11/27/05
We love Dr. Kettel and greatly appreciated his compassion and professionalism. He genuinely cared about us. Dr. Kettel's staff was consistently friendly, welcoming, and supportive. Dealing with infertility was emotionally draining, difficult, and embarrasing. But, today we would not have our beautiful twins had we not been encouraged and made to feel comfortable enough to pursue treatments dealing with infertility. And to that we owe more to Dr. Kettel and the San Diego Fertility Center than we will ever be able to give back.
S.H., mother of McKenna Parker and Jackson Tyler
We are very happy that our journey into parenthood is finally here. We are very greatful of the miracle that occured as a result of our treatment at San Diego Fertility Center. It was a long journey, but very much worth the time and dedication that went into creating our baby. San Diego Fertility Center provided such great care to us along the way!
I just wanted to let you guys know that we had our baby girl and she is perfect in every way. Even though this wasn't the typical treatment, I do appreciate SDFC working with us and keeping our hope alive. I guess miracles do occur because ours is living proof. She couldn't be cuter and we couldn't be happier! Thank you for everything. M. & L.
I could not be more appreciative of the staff and doctors at the SDFC. My dream of Motherhood has come true thanks to all of them! E.C.
Although sometimes it takes a try or two, we put our faith and trust in San Diego Fertility Center and we have the most beautiful miracle which was worth the wait! Thank you for everything you have done for us. K. H.
Hello Dr. Hummel,
We have some very exciting news to share, the birth of our daughter, Avery Saige.
When we sought out your help last year, we had just moved here from NH. we had been trying to conceive for almost 6 years. Back in NH, we had already gone through 4 fertility cycles - OPK, Clomid and injectables followed by IUI's - all unsuccessful. That is when we decided IVF was the way to go. On our 1st attempt with the San Diego Fertility Center, we were successful!
During our cycle, I had 20 eggs retrieved, 14 of which were mature and 10 of which were fertilized. When the time came, 2 embryos were frozen and 2 transferred back to me. The end result is our beautiful baby girl!
We want to extend our sincerest thanks to you and all of your wonderful staff. Infertility is such a difficult, emotional thing to deal with. You and all of the staff at SD Fertility were so amazing throughout our journey to become parents. And you've helped us realize a dream that we were beginning to think was impossible.
Now, at 8 weeks old, Avery remains the most amazing and wonderful gift we could ever received. We wanted to share the good news with you and all of your staff, as you were such an important part in our quest to become parents. That day is finally here and we couldn't be happier.
M. & T. H.
It's hard to imagine life without our twins Nicholas & Olivia born 4-8-03. The long journey was well worth the wait. We started trying to have a baby seven years ago. After trying on our own for two years, we decided it was time to visit our family doctor. Our doctor quickly referred us to the HMO's fertility specialist. This doctor ran the standard tests and decided we should try fertility drugs. After trying for a few cycles and not being successful the next step was for my husband to be tested. The tests revealed a low sperm count. At this point we were referred to Dr. Hummel. We met with Dr. Hummel and discussed our options. Our biggest fear was not how much this adventure would cost, but whether or not we would be able to conceive. We left his office full of hopes and dreams. Dr. Hummel never made any promises, but he was always very positive and always gave us hope. After going through laparoscopy, months of injections, egg retrieval, one miscarriage and a difficult pregnancy, our prayers and dreams had been answered. We are now the very proud parents of a baby boy and a baby girl. This would not have been possible without Dr. Hummel and his caring staff. We would have never made it without his love and support and his staff that is equally great! As long as you have hope, desire, and a cheering squad ... anything is possible! We are forever grateful for our two little angels. Thanks a million.
C. & D. H
"Our Two Miracles
My husband and I were married on September 1, 1996. We knew from that day forward we would try to start a family. Unfortunately, year after year went by and we were still childless. I was referred to Dr. Kettel by my OB/Gyn and since then my whole world turned around and all my dreams came true. We were diagnosed with "unknown infertility" and we immediately started treatment for Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). A funny thing happened on my way to SDFC for my first insemination. (I can laugh at it now.) I was actually pulled over by a police officer for speeding. You guessed it. I had my husband's sperm sample in a paper bag between by legs to keep it at body temperature. After explaining the situation to the officer, he chuckled and wrote me up for a moving violation anyway. Surprisingly, I became pregnant only having gone through one month of treatment. After a wonderful pregnancy with no complications, we had our first daughter, Sailor Jane, September 11, 2000, exactly on my due date.
We had such a pleasant experience going through our first treatment. We knew if I was unable to get pregnant again, this time on our own, we would contact SDFC. So, about a year and a half later we found ourselves back at SDFC repeating the same IUI treatment. Unfortunately, our first try didn't take. Besides the monetary hardship, the emotional roller coaster we were on was nauseating. I didn't think I could handle any more disappointment. But my husband and I agreed that we could afford to try one more time. Clinging on to the little bit of hope we had left, we agreed to do the IUI treatment again. Once again, I got pregnant and on November 4, 2002, our little Sirena Bella came into our lives.
I don't think I can thank Dr. Kettel and all his wonderful staff enough for the joy they have given my husband and I. From the moment we stepped into their office we were treated with genuine compassion. The many times I had to come to SDFC, each staff member, from the receptionist to the lab technicians to the nurses, were so professional, positive, friendly and caring. They always greeted me by my name and made me feel like a friend. Truly an amazing staff to have that effect on a patient. We will always remember the wonderful and unique experience we had starting our family."
Bettina Adams and Family
"Dear SDFC Staff, today we say good-bye and thank you! Over the past year we have traveled a very difficult road, and you all have traveled it with us every step of the way. Through the sadness and the joy, you have been supportive, kind, and compassionate.
We want to say thank you for all you've done for us, and for all we will be able to enjoy in the future because of you.
We believe God has done a miracle in our lives, and you were the instruments of His handiwork. We promise to send a new "family portrait" this Fall!"
S. and D., SDFC patients
All nurses and lab staff,
Now that I am finally pregnant, I wanted all of you to know how awesome you are! Thank you for always being so patient and caring. I know I wasn't the easiest patient, with my million questions and endless phone calls. But, you guys never once treated me unkindly. You are all such wonderful and supportive people. Thanks for being so nice to us! It's a boy!
J. & M.
The entire staff at SDFC are the most caring and compassionate souls I have ever dealt with. After our first failed IVF, I became pregnant naturally the very next cycle, only to find out that the embryo was not developing. If was the most difficult few weeks, coming in for repeated ultrasounds and then finally making the decision to terminate the pregnancy. They hugged us and cried with us. We moved on and gave it another 2 tries before finally achieving success with our third IVF. Our daughter is now 21 months and we are eager to try again. Thanks to the expertise and support at SDFC, we hope to have another one or more beautiful children.
A. and R., parents of Jessica
It is impossible to express our gratitude to you and your staff for making our dreams a reality. We feel truly blessed to have our beautiful child, Lauren, in our lives. She has changed our lives forever and we know that without you she might not be here.
As you know, we tried IVF at another clinic without success. Your clinic's approach and professionalism made a difficult situation easier and our dream to become parents possible. I believe some fertility clinics without your expertise are playing with people's lives. Thank goodness we found San Diego Fertility Center. We will definitely use your services again in the future, and we have recommended you countless times.
A. and N.
It all started in 1996 at out first appointment with Dr. Kettel. He suggested we try artificial insemination before we got into the expense of IVF. After 4 failed attempts with IUI, we tried IVF for the first time in 1997. After 4 failed attempts with my own eggs, Dr. Kettel suggested us looking for an anonymous egg donor. Although I was only 31 yrs. old at the time, my eggs did not seem to be that healthy. I had also been diagnosed with polycystic ovarian disease at the time. Additionally, I was not able to ovulate because of lack of a menstrual cycle so Dr. Kettel thought us sing a donor egg was best. My husband and I looked though profiles of egg donors for months before my younger sister came forward and offered to go through all of the fertility treatments for us. After the first egg retrieval, 4 embryos were placed into me 4 days later and I got pregnant right away. Our daughter Emma just turned 2 years old in April and is just so beautiful. She not only has 2 special people in her life, but 3! Some day she will learn how special her auntie Stephanie really is!
Lori Rettinger
A Child
for Morgan and Arin
When I look in their eyes I see all the world unfolding with wonder and excitement. A pure canvas ready to shape a rich life. With each new experience adding a color, a stroke until a tapestry, so wonderful to behold, lives in the waves we make. A smile, a laugh, a tear touches my life and enriches my pattern beyond the lines.
by C. Z.
After 7 years of trying to conceive and several IUI's, LAP, HSG & Varicocele repair we came to SDFC and its wonderful staff & doctors. We went through 7 IVF's that all failed. We gave up hope and decided to try a FET since we had some embryos frozen. It worked! We couldn't believe it. After 9 years trying to conceive, we finally had our miracle baby. Thanks, SDFC!
C, S & P
"Dear Dr. Hummel,
We would like to share our story with your future patients, as we would not have our precious daughter, if not for the care and expertise you extended to us.
We also have a 7-year-old daughter conceived naturally. It took 4 years to conceive her, and we suspected I wasn't ovulating regularly. The next 6 years we had numerous blood tests, 4 failed IUI's, 1 miscarriage and 2 ectopics that burst my tubes. IVF was our only chance to have another baby.
We were impressed with you and your staff from the first meeting. You wasted no time to set a specific plan for us to get pregnant, and you made us feel very energetic about what we were getting into. In all of our tests, purchasing medications, doing injections, and scheduling appointments, your staff provided exceptional support, in a timely manner, and was always there for us when we had questions. We even received a "Congratulations" call from you that we were pregnant. We'll never forget the sincere happiness in your voice.
IVF was a wonderful process to go through at your facility. Your staff is friendly and professional, your offices and surgery center is very organized and clean, the thorough monitoring and phone calls from your nurses were very much appreciated, and your embryologists made critical decisions that assisted in making our IVF successful, and they even informed us daily of our embryos' progress. We always felt like your top priority, in every step of our IVF.
The only regret we have is not going through IVF earlier in our infertility years. IVF was such a rewarding way to have a baby, since we knew so early on if we are pregnant and we were able to get a picture of our embryos and ultrasounds of our baby, "This is a very special baby."
We are very happy to know that we have embryos cryopreserved at SDFC. We look forward to going through future cycles with you and your staff, as we know we will receive the very best care.
Thank you again for helping us to experience the joys of pregnancy, and for our beautiful, healthy baby girl." Tom and Suzanne., Parents of Claire Annelise
"Dear Dr. Hummel and Dr. Kettel,
Gentlemen, today was the greatest day of my life. Today, I watched my wife, Nancy, one of your patients, give birth to our 2nd son, Nathan William, at 10:48 at our hospital, the Inland Valley Medical Center in Murrieta. For a desperate period of time after we married in January of 1995, we tried unsuccessfully to conceive on our own and met bleak options to accomplish our dreams. Our prayers were answered dutifully after Nancy had our first son, Adam, with your help, and today, we have yet another reason to celebrate. Granted, we were fortunate. We only had to undergo your first course of treatment to meet success, but with your help, we had additional options because you cared enough and love to look harder and dig deeper.
Thank you very much. Your help will never be forgotten."
J. McKnight
Father of Nathan William
"Dr. Hummel,
While I await (impatiently) the results of my IUI, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you my impressions of your most exceptional staff. They are not only professional but caring, supportive and so enthusiastic. In addition to your wonderful bedside manner, well it has made both the medical procedures and the emotional up's and down's so much easier to bear. Brian and I are aware and appreciative of the positive atmosphere you have created."
L.S.
"Going through fertility treatments for approximately a year, in addition to trying for a year on my own before, was very challenging. My hopes would be so high, thinking each time this would be it. I learned to cope with the disappointment but did not give up. Each time I wanted a more aggressive approach especially coming up on my 40th birthday I knew time was not on my side. SDFC provided the most updated most aggressive approach I could want. I have talked with other couples trying through other means, and their approach has not been as aggressive as SDFC's. I tried Clomid two times; Dr. Hummel recommended injectables to increase my chances, which I did. It was with the third try of injectables that Cameron Justin was born. I was so surprised because I wasn't sure if my eggs were even viable at this time. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that this little miracle baby happened." Kristen Webb, mother of Cameron Justin
"Dr. Hummel,
Isn't she beautiful? Little Lauren Lillian is such a wonderful baby. Wow, one is a breeze compared to two? We constantly feel so blessed to have this little angel girl in our lives. The boys are wonderful big brothers. They are 2 now and talking up a storm. They are quite entertaining. Hope all is well with you - thank you again for everything you've done for our family. These children have given us such purpose, peace and contentment. I am always so thankful for the time and energy you put into your practice - a practice that has such a significant impact on lives. May God bless you richly."P. and J. G.
Parents of Lauren Lillian
Last updated:
November 30, 2007
Editor: Constanze Scherer