Hitting the fertility jackpot! Childless couple who won IVF as raffle prize are expecting triplets after four-year struggle to conceive



A childless couple who won a round of IVF in a raffle last September are expecting triplets after a four-year struggle to conceive.

Serena and Travis Mackrell from Draper, Utah, entered a lottery run by a local non-profit organization called Footsteps for Fertility last fall which awarded five winners the pricey fertility procedure free of charge.

Expressing her delight, Mrs Mackrell, 29, who is now nine weeks pregnant, told Deseret News : 'I never expected this . . . I still can't believe it sometimes.'

Triplets on the way: Serena and Travis Mackrell entered an IVF raffle last September and were one of five couples to be awarded the fertility treatment free of charge

Footsteps for Fertility was set up by Mrs Mackrell's two siblings Holly Bryant and Laurel Sheppard last year.



Both women, who have children of their own, were inspired by their sister's struggle to get pregnant and launched an initiative to help others in her position.



Their charity aims at raising awareness of infertility and helps secure grants for those who are unable to afford treatment, which often costs more than $10,000.



'It's the love of two sisters for their sister,' their mother Denise Segura previously explained.



Raffle run: Six hundred childless couples took part in a five kilometer run in Draper, Utah last September with the hope they would win the grand prize - one round of in vitro fertilization

Showing support: One round of IVF was donated by Dr Russell Foulke, an IVF specialist with the Utah Fertility Center in Pleasant Grove and four more grants were provided by the Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation

Mrs Bryant and Mrs Sheppard staged a 5k run in Draper on September 15 2012 and a post-race raffle. Only 47 couples with infertility issues entered and the remaining 950 participants were friends and family members.



One round of IVF was donated by Dr Russell Foulke, an IVF specialist with the Utah Fertility Center in Pleasant Grove and four more grants were provided by the Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation.

Each entrant was required to pay a $35 entry fee which secured them a spot in the race and a raffle ticket. In total five couples were awarded cycles of IVF .



Along with the Mackrells, Brian and Ramsi Stoker of Holladay, Utah, also had their names drawn.



The couple had been trying for a baby for four years and spent more than $25,000 on artificial insemination and a first round of in vitro without success .

For a good cause: The 2012 race raised $35,000 and helped raise awareness of infertility

Winning couple: Brian and Ramsi Stoker of Holladay, Utah, who had been trying for a baby for four years, also won a free round of IVF in the fertility raffle last September



After their win they exclaimed in disbelief: 'We're going to Colorado to buy a lottery ticket today too. This is our lucky day.'

The 2012 race, which also raised $35,000 for the Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation, has resulted in three pregnancies so far, with a total of five babies on the way.



Of the remaining two women who won a grant, one failed to conceive and another woman is yet to undergo the fertility procedure.

The next Footsteps for Fertility race is set to take place on August 31 at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City.