Humanizing the path to parenthood
This past December, members of the Legacy team met to discuss what 2022 holds in store. We spent 4 days holed away, planning our vision for the year, along with redefining our values, our mission, and our go-to-market path. But above all else, we knew we needed to focus on what made us unique and why we would endure and thrive for decades to come.
So first: a question. Why start a male fertility company at all? You may know the original story — a scalding hot coffee, a trip to a fertility clinic, the anxiety and awkwardness that ensued. But what we’ve evolved into is so much more. As we’ve now helped 10,000+ couples on their path to parenthood, and with many Legacy babies on the way, we realized that what we’re doing goes beyond just offering a straightforward service.
What we are doing is humanizing the path to parenthood.
Why this phrase?
Let’s break down why these word choices form the foundations of who we are and what we do at Legacy.
Humanizing
Visiting a fertility clinic is uncomfortable, emasculating, and downright dehumanizing. You’re asked to produce a “specimen” in a tiny room, surrounded by things you don’t want to touch, with the flickering fluorescent lights reminding you that you’re in a very…. sterile environment.
You have to wait — sometimes a week or more — for your results, which are provided to you in a series of numbers and figures that you can’t understand. Low motility? What does that mean? High morphology figures? What do I do about it?
And as you and your partner are poked, prodded, and asked to ejaculate on demand, all you want to do is scream — or cry — or yell out. Because at a point in your life when you feel alone, invalid, and vulnerable, all you want is someone to hold your hand, guide you every step of the way, and give you honest, direct, and compassionate answers to all your questions.
THIS is the reason why clinics are losing out to companies that deal with patients directly.
THIS is why we call our patients ‘clients’ — because they’re more than just a box of symptoms.
THIS is why we offer 24/7 access to our specially-trained fertility specialists.
THIS is why everyone gets a free telehealth call with one of our fertility nurses or urologists.
THIS is why one of our core values is kindness. We are here to humanize, and our clients have recognized us for it.
And THIS is a real e-mail we received from a client last week who felt compelled to reach out. At Legacy, you’ll never be ‘just another person.’
The Path:
The choice to become a parent is different for every person. The journey to becoming a parent is different, too. Some of you may think, “I’ll do it someday… not now.” For others, you’re actively trying to conceive, and it feels like nothing is more urgent. Some of you are taking steps to preserve your fertility proactively — maybe you’re being deployed, or you’re starting medical treatment, or you just want to be extra careful.
But the reality is this: everybody thinks about becoming a parent. Whether you choose to or not, or what form your family takes — we’re biologically wired to ask ourselves the question. You may start a family later in life, you may have kids right away, or you may elope to Vietnam with nothing but your platonic best friend, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and a chicken.
It doesn’t matter. Family starts with you.
And so we take pains to recognize that the path for each person is different. That’s why our logo is reflective of the Northern Star. Where you want to go and how you want to get there is entirely up to you — but we’ll be your guide on that journey.
Parenthood:
And finally, parenthood. We’re very deliberate about referring to parenthood, not just fatherhood. The path to becoming a parent is different for everyone, especially for the transgender community. These hopeful parents may have been born biologically male, may choose to freeze their sperm, but hope to become the mother of a young child someday.
And this was a journey for me, too. I wrote a little about this in a previous post because our clients and my team have taught me that LGBTQIA+ couples or individuals inherently face more complex fertility journeys. And sometimes conscious wording choices — the little touches, like referring to ‘people with sperm,’ or ‘parents,’ or using your preferred name, not your deadname — make a world of difference.
And so here we are. Humanizing the path to parenthood with you. Thank you for letting us be a part of your journey.
Khaled & the Legacy team
