Preserving the dream of motherhood for cancer patients

Kelsey Holmes was 28 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. She remembers grappling with decisions about both her immediate health needs and her desire to one day become a mother.

Kelsey Holmes with her VCU Health care team following her IVF egg retrieval. (Contributed photo)

“You want to start treatment, but you also have to think about how it will affect the rest of your life,” Holmes explained. “To survive all that and then lose your fertility would be really unfortunate.” 

At the time, Holmes was living in Norfolk, Virginia. After learning she would have to wait a month for a fertility consultation close to home, a friend recommended she contact VCU Health. She was able to schedule an appointment the very next day with Richard S. Lucidi, M.D., director for the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. 

“I didn’t want to delay my cancer treatment, but I also didn’t want to leave my fertility up to chance,” she said. “Dr. Lucidi’s team is really special. They shared my sense of urgency, empathized with me and understood how important this was to me.”

Within two weeks, Holmes underwent in vitro fertilization egg retrieval. With that accomplished, she was able to start chemotherapy the next month, followed by a double mastectomy and immunotherapy later that year.

“The IVF process was something positive in the midst of everything else, which seemed kind of scary. I felt like my fertility was something that was in my control.”

‘I want people to have the same experience that I had’

Holmes is grateful for the care she received and her ability to afford a costly IVF procedure. In fall 2025, Holmes made that opportunity available for others when she gave a generous gift to establish the Nest Fertility Fund in the VCU School of Medicine. The fund provides financial assistance for fertility preservation and other related services to cancer patients and survivors.

Kelsey Holmes with her mother, Carla Bryce, and father, Jerry Holmes, after completing her final round of chemotherapy. (Contributed photo)

“Cancer treatments have many side effects. Medical insurance covers treatment of most of these side effects – such as drugs to minimize nausea and vomiting, medications to prevent or treat anemia, and even wigs for hair loss,” said Lucidi, a professor in VCU’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “However, most insurance companies do not cover the side effect of infertility. This gift enables us to help patients by filling the gap where insurance coverage falls short.”

Added Holmes, “Your dream of being a parent shouldn’t stop just because of a cancer diagnosis. My hope for the Nest Fertility Fund is that when people are faced with a million decisions, this one becomes easier for them.” 

Lightening the financial burden for others

In December 2025, Holmes reached five years of being cancer-free – an important milestone for survivors as the risk of recurrence decreases significantly. Now age 34 and living in Washington, D.C., she’s focused on the future.

“I still want to have a family. I still want kids. But I’ve been able to come out of my cancer treatment and take a moment to breathe, figure out who I wanted to be, where I wanted to live, and what I wanted my life to look like without the pressures of a biological clock.”

She feels hope for her future, and she wants the Nest Fertility Fund to provide a sense of hope for others.

“When you are faced with a cancer diagnosis, you can’t see beyond it. You’re at the bottom of the biggest mountain you’ll ever have to climb. But you do get to the top and there’s life after cancer. Your dreams are not denied – they’re only deferred.”

If you would like to make a gift to the Nest Fertility Fund, contact Carolyn Center, director of development, at cecenter@vcu.edu or (804) 869-7279.