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MESSAGES AND BAGS OF M&MS. HIS LONGTIME SPONSOR LEFT IN HONOR OF THE DRIVER. FAMILY WILL BE ONE OF KYLE BUSCH’S ENDURING LEGACIES OFF THE TRACK AND NOT JUST HIS OWN. MORE THAN 100 CHILDREN ARE ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE OF HIS WORK TO MAKE IN VITRO FERTILIZATION AFFORDABLE FOR COUPLES THROUGH THE BUNDLE OF JOY FUND. WXII 12 KELLY KENDALL HAS BEEN SPEAKING WITH SEVERAL OF THOSE FAMILIES. AND KELLI, YOU HEARD FROM A WOMAN IN CHARLOTTE WHOSE LIFE WAS CHANGED BY THIS FUND. CHRISTINE JESSICA LIZARAZO IS KNOWN AS MISS LIZARAZO TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT SHE TEACHES ART TO. BUT AT HOME, SHE’S KNOWN AS MOM TO HER TWO KIDS, BOTH OF WHOM WERE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE BUNDLE OF JOY FUND AND IVF. WE WAITED FOR YEARS TO HAVE THAT MOMENT AND SHE WAS IN FRONT OF US AND IT WAS JUST SO SPECIAL. CHARLOTTE, MOM JESSICA LIZARAZO DESCRIBING HOLDING HER DAUGHTER LOLA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2019. A JOYFUL MOMENT FOR EVERY PARENT BUT ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL FOR LIZARAZO AND HER HUSBAND. WE TRY FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS TO HAVE KIDS. DURING THOSE YEARS, THE COUPLE’S INSURANCE DIDN’T COVER ANY IVF PROCEDURES, SO THEY TRIED AND DIDN’T HAVE SUCCESS WITH OTHER FERTILITY TREATMENTS. I DID GET PREGNANT ONCE, AND THAT TURNED OUT TO BE AN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY, WHICH REQUIRED EMERGENCY SURGERY. AND SO WE WERE ALREADY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT AT THAT POINT. YOU SEE, YOUR FRIENDS GET PREGNANT AND YOU’RE JUST WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING AND YEARS GO BY AND YOU WONDER, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU. THAT ALL CHANGED WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR A GRANT THROUGH SAMANTHA AND KYLE BUSCH’S BUNDLE OF JOY FUND, WHICH HAS PROVIDED MORE THAN $2 MILLION IN GRANTS TO COUPLES INCLUDING THE LIZARAZO. IN 2018, THEY GOT THE NEWS FROM SAMANTHA HERSELF. SHE SAT US DOWN AND SHE TOLD US THAT WE WERE RECEIVING $20,000 TO DO IVF. IT WAS JUST AN AMAZING FEELING. IT WAS LIKE, WE HAVE A CHANCE. WE HAVE HOPE. HOPE TURNED INTO REALITY WHEN THEY HAD LOLA. THEN 15 MONTHS LATER, USING ANOTHER FROZEN EMBRYO, HAD THEIR SON MASON. TODAY THEY ARE SIX AND FIVE. IN THE BUNDLES OF JOY THEY HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF. LOLA IS MY QUIET CHILD. SHE LOVES TO PLAY SPORTS. MASON. HE IS THE ONE THAT’S MORE OUTGOING. NOW THE FAMILY OF FOUR IS PART OF A LARGER COMMUNITY. MASON HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WALK THE RUNWAY WITH KYLE AND SAMANTHA AND BREXTON, AND THAT WAS TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE BUNDLE OF JOY FUND. THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY SPECIAL BECAUSE EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A PLAY DATE WITH ALL OF THE FAMILIES. LIZARAZO WAS HEARTBROKEN TO HEAR OF KYLE BUSCH’S PASSING, BUT SHE SAYS THROUGH THE BUNDLE OF JOY FUND, HE’LL NEVER TRULY BE GONE. HE’S GOING TO LEAVE A LEGACY OF LIFE. LIZARAZO SAYS ALREADY OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS, SHE’S BEEN SO ENCOURAGED TO SEE PEOPLE DONATING TO THE FUND AND HOPES EVEN MORE WILL GIVE TO THE CAUSE. YOU CAN DONATE YOURSELF OR LEARN HOW TO APPLY FOR A GRANT BY VISITING THIS STORY ON OUR WEBSIT
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‘Legacy of life’: Family shares how Kyle Busch’s Bundle of Joy Fund helped them overcome infertility
“We just needed a chance.”
In the wake of his death, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch is being remembered not only for his historic wins on the track but also for his work to help families experiencing infertility. In 2015, he and his wife, Samantha, started the Bundle of Joy Fund after struggling to conceive and undergoing in vitro fertilization to have their two children. The couple recognized that the cost of IVF procedures can be out of reach for many families, so they decided to help lift that burden by providing grants. Jessica Lizarazo and her husband are one of those grant recipients. The Charlotte couple tried for five years to conceive but were unable to, despite trying other fertility treatments. “I did get pregnant once, and that turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy, which required emergency surgery,” Jessica said. “And so we were already thousands of dollars in debt at that point.”Jessica is an elementary school art teacher, and her husband runs a small business. Neither of their insurance policies covered the high cost of IVF treatments. She describes the years of trying and not succeeding to grow a family as isolating. “You see your friends get pregnant and you’re just waiting and waiting and waiting and years go by, and you wonder what’s wrong with you,” she said.In 2018, the couple applied for a grant through Kyle and Samantha Busch’s Bundle of Joy Fund, which has provided over $2 million in grants to couples struggling with infertility. Jessica described it as their last, Hail Mary attempt to have the children they’d been dreaming of. One day, they were told to go to their fertility clinic to do an interview for the grant. However, when they showed up, they were met by Samantha Busch and $20,000. “It was just an amazing feeling,” Lizarazo said. “It was like, we have a chance. We have hope,” she added. The grant allowed the Lizarazos to get their first IVF procedure. Jessica became pregnant in 2018 and gave birth to their daughter, Lola, in 2019. “We waited for years to have that moment, and she was in front of us,” Jessica said, describing holding Lola for the first time. “And it was just so special.” 15 months later, the couple welcomed their son, Mason, using another embryo frozen during the IVF treatment. Today, Lola is 6 and Mason is 5, and the family says they are the bundles of joy they had always dreamed of. “Lola is my quiet child. She loves to play sports,” Jessica said. “Mason, he is the one that is more outgoing,” she added. The Lizarazo family is now part of a larger community created by the Bundle of Joy Fund. Recently, Mason had the opportunity to walk the runway with the Busch family during the Catwalk for a Cause event in Charlotte, which benefitted the Bundle of Joy Fund, among other charities. During another fundraiser, a painting done by Lola was sold for $375. All of the proceeds went to help the Bundle of Joy Fund’s mission.The Lizarazos once felt alone in their journey with infertility, but today, they are connected with other families who have benefitted from the fund. “Every year we have a play date with all of the families, so we get to reunite and see how each of the kids are growing,” Lizarazo said. “Samantha and Kyle, they’re there. They show up with their Brexton and Lennix, and it’s it just feels like a family.”With Kyle’s passing, Jessica says it feels like part of that family is missing. However, she says, through the fund, he will never truly be gone.“He’s going to leave a legacy of life,” she said. You can learn more about applying for a Bundle of Joy Fund grant by clicking here. You can donate to the cause by clicking here.
In the wake of his death, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch is being remembered not only for his historic wins on the track but also for his work to help families experiencing infertility.
In 2015, he and his wife, Samantha, started the Bundle of Joy Fund after struggling to conceive and undergoing in vitro fertilization to have their two children. The couple recognized that the cost of IVF procedures can be out of reach for many families, so they decided to help lift that burden by providing grants.
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Jessica Lizarazo and her husband are one of those grant recipients. The Charlotte couple tried for five years to conceive but were unable to, despite trying other fertility treatments.
“I did get pregnant once, and that turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy, which required emergency surgery,” Jessica said. “And so we were already thousands of dollars in debt at that point.”
Jessica is an elementary school art teacher, and her husband runs a small business. Neither of their insurance policies covered the high cost of IVF treatments. She describes the years of trying and not succeeding to grow a family as isolating.
“You see your friends get pregnant and you’re just waiting and waiting and waiting and years go by, and you wonder what’s wrong with you,” she said.
In 2018, the couple applied for a grant through Kyle and Samantha Busch’s Bundle of Joy Fund, which has provided over $2 million in grants to couples struggling with infertility. Jessica described it as their last, Hail Mary attempt to have the children they’d been dreaming of.
One day, they were told to go to their fertility clinic to do an interview for the grant. However, when they showed up, they were met by Samantha Busch and $20,000.
“It was just an amazing feeling,” Lizarazo said. “It was like, we have a chance. We have hope,” she added.
The grant allowed the Lizarazos to get their first IVF procedure. Jessica became pregnant in 2018 and gave birth to their daughter, Lola, in 2019.
“We waited for years to have that moment, and she was in front of us,” Jessica said, describing holding Lola for the first time. “And it was just so special.”
15 months later, the couple welcomed their son, Mason, using another embryo frozen during the IVF treatment. Today, Lola is 6 and Mason is 5, and the family says they are the bundles of joy they had always dreamed of.
“Lola is my quiet child. She loves to play sports,” Jessica said.
“Mason, he is the one that is more outgoing,” she added.
The Lizarazo family is now part of a larger community created by the Bundle of Joy Fund. Recently, Mason had the opportunity to walk the runway with the Busch family during the Catwalk for a Cause event in Charlotte, which benefitted the Bundle of Joy Fund, among other charities.
During another fundraiser, a painting done by Lola was sold for $375. All of the proceeds went to help the Bundle of Joy Fund’s mission.
The Lizarazos once felt alone in their journey with infertility, but today, they are connected with other families who have benefitted from the fund.
“Every year we have a play date with all of the families, so we get to reunite and see how each of the kids are growing,” Lizarazo said. “Samantha and Kyle, they’re there. They show up with their Brexton and Lennix, and it’s it just feels like a family.”
With Kyle’s passing, Jessica says it feels like part of that family is missing. However, she says, through the fund, he will never truly be gone.
“He’s going to leave a legacy of life,” she said.
You can learn more about applying for a Bundle of Joy Fund grant by clicking here. You can donate to the cause by clicking here.
