Cedar Rapids couple struggling with infertility has baby with help of new device

Published: Jul. 27, 2022 at 4:15 PM CDT
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -A Cedar Rapids couple is crediting a new device with helping them to get pregnant after they struggled with infertility for more than a year and a half. The couple says a sterile intracervical insemination device called PherDal became the difference maker for them and it only costs around a hundred bucks.

PherDal is an ICI device that isn’t yet on the market, but it’s proof of concept kits sold out in less than 90 days. It’s one of those kits that Kevin and Tessa Mills tried from the comfort of their Cedar Rapids home. They now have a 2-month-old daughter named Harper.

”We had went through every test known to man and I knew that we probably just needed a little help getting the sperm to the egg,” said Tessa.

The couple began discussing fertility options after not being able to conceive.

“I really wasn’t interested in doing you know IUI or IVF, they’re very expensive options, they’re pretty invasive,” Tessa explained.

She came across PherDal, an ICI device that she could try from home as part of the company’s proof of concept. The kit only costs $99. PherDal was founded by Dr. Jennifer Hintzsche who created it with the help of her husband whose an engineer. The two had their own struggle with infertility before having their daughter 3 years ago, the first official PherDal baby.

“When we sold out of our proof of concept kits, I realized we were onto something obviously as other people have gotten pregnant,” said Dr. Hintzsche.

After just one cycle of PherDal, the Mills were pregnant.

“I looked at the test and I thought is that two lines,” Tessa said.

“I immediately I just Face Timed her and was like oh my god, screaming and crying with her,” said Dr. Hintzsche.

Their hope is to get PherDal on the market to help more families, grow.

“By working with the FDA we hope to be FDA cleared and to have our patented device ready to hit the market in 2023,” Dr. Hintzsche said.

For the Mills, it’s helped a dream come true.

“We’re excited to be parents and we’re really grateful to have her,” said Tessa.

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