The health minister says she is committed to finding a “path forward” to open an IVF clinic in the province.

Newfoundland and Labrador does not have such a facility, meaning patients have to travel out-of-province, at substantial cost, to receive treatment.

Government recently increased the one-time subsidy for those seeking fertility treatments from $20,000 to $29,000.

Lela Evans says there are doctors who are “very interested in stepping up,” and government is working with NL Health Services on the steps needed to support having IVF locally.

Jennifer Tipple, an advocate and former patient of fertility services, spent between $50,000 and $60,000 on IVF over the course of three years before she became pregnant.

She describes the process, especially if multiple treatment cycles are involved, as an “emotional rollercoaster” and says she is “heartened” by Evans’ commitment to bringing IVF to the province.

She says that would remove many of the financial barriers, and allow patients to undergo treatment with their support system around them.