Author and humanitarian focuses on infertility and motherhood
Cheri Bergeron published a new book and started a nonprofit that helps support women considering IVF as an option.
Cheri Bergeron, an author and leader who works to advance women’s understanding of pregnancy, fertility, and motherhood, spoke with me about her new book, which details her journey in these matters.
Bergeron published Mission: Motherhood: Writing a New Fairy Tale of Love and Family in April. She is also the founder of Cheri’s Choice, a nonprofit organization that offers education, counseling, and community support, enabling women to choose motherhood on their terms.
In 2014, Cheri Bergeron had been legally separated from her husband, Clay Saunders, for two years. They had one daughter together. Sadly, they had also suffered the loss of two other children.
Cheri wanted a bigger family. She wanted another child, so she made a choice. She informed her estranged husband that she intended to become pregnant through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). He did not object.
She became pregnant with an anonymous sperm donor and gave birth to her son in May 2015. Her estranged husband filed legal documents in 2016 to declare that he was not the father.
Then, 37 months later, Clay Saunders changed his mind and sued to gain parental rights over Cheri’s son, over her objections, since she was the child’s natural mother.
On December 12, 2019, a Travis County judge ordered Clay Saunders to take a DNA test to prevent him from becoming the legal father of her 4-year-old boy.
Cheri’s custody battle ended in her favor. Now, she’s organizing to protect the rights of other women wishing to become mothers.
Bergeron wanted to share that story to help other women understand how they can chart their path more effectively.
“I went into it very blindly, and I felt that if I'd had a lot more information early on, then I might have made some different choices and made a better plan,” Bergeron said. “And so that's really the heart of what I want to do, is make the path easier for the women who come after me.”
Bergeron also launched her nonprofit this year. Next year is when they hope to have things in full swing. It will host workshops where women can learn about fostering, surrogacy, adoption, infertility treatments, sperm and egg donors. Counselors will help women find resources. Additionally, community support groups will be incorporated into Cheri’s Choice as well.
Bergeron summarized her purpose to me when I asked.
“The heart of my book is to give women hope, because I went through a horrible set of circumstances,” Bergeron said. “I lost children, but I was able to achieve the family of my dreams.
“And so I believe that with knowledge and determination and a village that loves you, then this is possible, and I want women to understand that they don't have to be trapped in a traditional fairy tale of what family looks like.”