Our Legacy
Our Purpose
We Help Families Grow
My name is Serena Mackerell and I have been married to my husband, Travis, since 2008. Coming from a family with the most fertile women you’ll ever meet, I never imagined it would take us four years to get pregnant. After a year of various doctor appointments, it was determined that we wouldn’t have children unless we sought treatment with In Vitro Fertilization. While we were encouraged that there was still hope, we felt discouraged because the cost of IVF wasn’t something we could afford at the time or even three years later. By now it was year four, and my sisters, Holly, Laurel, and Alyssa, didn’t want us to have to wait any longer so they decided to take action.
One morning, they called me saying they wanted to put a 5 kilometer race together to raise money for me and Travis. I was a little reluctant at first when I thought about the privacy we might lose, but when they mentioned Utah Fertility Center would be donating a free cycle of IVF to a lucky random couple at the race, I realized this was a huge opportunity to help others and raise awareness.
While planning the race, my sisters crossed paths with Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation who gives grants to couples with infertility problems. We applied for the grant, and we qualified. Even though it appeared that our period of waiting was over, we still had a race to plan and Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation decided to join forces. The inaugural Footsteps for Fertility 5K race managed to raise over $35,000 which was donated to Pay it Forward Fertility Foundation and allowed for four grants! (Not including the lucky couple who won the free cycle of IVF donated by Utah Fertility Center). As a direct result of that race, five couples had the opportunity to start their families, three became pregnant, and a total of five babies were born. The event was so successful we decided to make Footsteps for Fertility a non-profit Foundation and continue to “Help Families Grow.”
Our Team
Travis is a student working toward becoming a Physician Assistant, works as an Advanced EMT and is a partner in a Research and Development company in Salt Lake City, and he loves his jobs!
Our first IVF cycle was a success and I was able to carry TRIPLETS, with no complications, to term- 36 weeks!! Vivian, Harrison and Dean were born on October 14th, 2013 and spent only two weeks in NICU. Raising them so far has obviously been a challenge, but is absolutely the highlight of our lives. Before the babies arrived, I enjoyed singing with the Utah Opera Company and Utah Symphony Chorus and working in the Publishing Services Department for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have a degree in Interior Design from LDS Business College and served an LDS Mission in Curitiba, Brazil. I am fortunate to be a frequent featured soloist with Draper Philharmonic and Choral Society. I love to perform in musical theater and sing with the Lyrical Opera Theater. I am passionate when it comes to infertility and currently serve on the Advocacy Committee of Utah Infertility Resource Center where I am excited to make an impact in Utah for insurance coverage of infertility treatments. I am proud to have been appointed as Mrs. Utah 2017 thanks to Premier World Pageants recognizing infertility as such a worthy cause.
I am happily married to Tyler Oldham, and we live in Salt Lake City, Utah. Tyler is happy to be working his dream job as the Golf Course Superintendent at the Salt Lake Country Club. Tyler has a strong love of the outdoors and especially hunting. He spends a lot of his free time out on a lake or in a field hunting birds with “Lady”, our “fur baby”.
I graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Science in Severe Special Education. Working with people who have disabilities is my passion. I have enjoyed my career as a Special Education teacher and
When we began trying for children, we learned that we too have infertility issues. Our first IVF cycle was a success and we welcomed a healthy set of fraternal twin boys! Not long after, we were blessed with a spontaneous pregnancy and welcomed one more son. Miracles (and surprises DO happen!). I LOVE being a boy mom!
I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Alabama- Roll Tide!! I enjoyed competing and playing on the division one soccer team there. I am married to Tony (the brother of the sisters who founded Footsteps). He graduated from the United States Military Academy aka West Point in 2012 and is now serving as a Cavalry Officer in the Army. Tony served an LDS mission for two years in Campiñas, Brazil and speaks fluent Portuguese.
Tony, and I have been happily married since July 2013. We currently live in Yelm, Washington where we have purchased our first house! The house was too quiet so we added a puppy named “Mal”. That wasn’t enough, so we grew by one more and in April 2015 when we welcomed our baby girl Josephine Joy into the world. At 7 months, old Josephine was diagnosed with a rare and fatal genetic disease called Infantile Pompe disease. Although our hearts are broken about Josephine’s diagnosis, we have decided to stay positive and optimistic. If you are interested, we welcome you to follow our blog Josephine’s Journey“>Josephines Joyful Journey”>Josephine’s Joyful Journey. She is still a happy baby and loves coming to all of the Footsteps races! Josephine was promoted to “Big Sister” of Clementine Clare, in January 2017.