Steve and Denise

True love can happen to anybody, at any time. For Denise and Steve, true love had to knock twice. Steve first met Denise while visiting his sister at the department store where she worked. But it wasn't until their second meeting, a few years later at Steve's sister's wedding party, that the sparks began to fly. It was only a matter of time before the couple wed.

And while Steve and Denise were married in their mid 30s, one thing they knew for sure is that they wanted their love for one another to result in a child. But this wasn't as easy as the couple had hoped.

For 7 ½ years, they relied on the advice of fertility specialists and the help of fertility drugs. Three times the couple became pregnant, once with triplets, but all the pregnancies ended in miscarriages.

Things were looking hopeless, but they weren't ready to give up. Not just yet. And on what they decided would be their last attempt, the couple conceived. With everything riding on this pregnancy, Steve and Denise knew they'd need the best prenatal care possible. So they turned to University of Michigan Health System, where the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is known for its outstanding prenatal care and the skill of its doctors in working with high-risk pregnancies.

The weeks turned into months, and the trimesters slipped by until the due date came and went. And while the baby was overdue, U-M doctors were certain that everything was fine. It was decided that a C-section would be the best course of action. So on July 28, 2005, Emily Grace came into the world, all 7 lbs. 8 oz. of her. The couple couldn't be more thrilled.

Since her birth, little Emily has been doing wonderfully. Steve and Denise have even remained in the U-M family, with Emily now receiving pediatric care through an M-CARE affiliated physician. They couldn't imagine a better experience for bringing a new life into the world.