Darcy Esiason’s Story: Navigating CF & IVF with Humor & Grace

For many couples in the cystic fibrosis community, building a family means facing infertility—and deciding how to move forward when biology makes things harder, yet again. In this episode, Ahmet Uluer, DO, MPH, Lauren Harvey and Andrea Gavin Becker dive in with Darcy Esiason—CF spouse, mom of two, therapist, and director of the Boomer Esiason Foundation’s IVF Grant Program. We talk about choosing to be with someone with CF, love, and what it takes to stay grounded through the stress and uncertainty of IVF.

Darcy shares the story of how she and her husband, Gunnar, met, fell in love, and navigated the realities of infertility—from the science (and yes, the scalpel) to the surprising moments of laughter, spirituality, and grace that carried them through. She also talks about the work their foundation is doing to make IVF possible for more people with CF—one beautiful baby at a time.

It’s a story about persistence, partnership, and finding joy and humor in unexpected places—including driving a vial of testicular tissue across town before sunrise. Whether you’re navigating IVF yourself or just curious what family-building looks like when CF is part of the story, don’t miss this episode.

Resources:

https://www.esiason.org/assistance/ivf-grant/

NACFC 2025 presentation by Dr. Ahmet Uluer and Dr. Karen von Berg: “A Breath of Fresh Age: Redefining Growing Older With Cystic Fibrosis” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHg8Pr0J8_o

The content presented in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.