THUNDER BAY – Sherry Navoy and her husband Clint have had four miscarriages trying to grow their family.
Sherry, who grew up in Thunder Bay, but now calls Calgary home, suffers from Asherman’s syndrome, the presence of scar tissue in the womb, making it that much more difficult to conceive.
Blessed with a daughter, the couple wants to add another child, but time is running out. She’s 43 and figures in two years it may be too late.
The Navoys have visited fertility clinics, but have been told their last hope is in vitro fertilization, which in Alberta, unlike Ontario, isn’t covered under the province’s health-care plan.
Out-of-pocket, Sherry says the treatment will cost them about $16,000, money they can’t afford.
But rather than set up a GoFund Me page, Sherry decided to take a different route to the money – modeling.
Told she was too late to enter the Canadian version, the former Confederation College, Lakehead University and Fort William Collegiate student decided to enter Maxim magazine’s international model competition, with a chance to be featured on the magazine’s cover, in a two-page spread and win $25,000.
Navoy, who's maiden name was Sherry Duguay, was one of more than 30,000 women to enter the contest, but has outlasted almost all, reaching the Hot 100 list.
“We could really use the money for in vitro fertilization,” Sherry said, asking her former friends and family – and the entire Thunder Bay community, to help push her over the top by voting for her in the annual competition.
“I didn’t realize I’d get this far. It’s kind of surreal.”
Sherry said when she met her husband, Clint, he told her he wanted 10 children. She countered with two.
The couple really want to make it happen.
“Losing a baby can lead to so many other issues,” she said.
“We’ve had a lot of loss, losing four babies. The last one reached the 12-week mark. That’s the safe point.”
Voting for the quarterfinal round of the contest closes on Oct. 24. She’s currently in 10th place in her group and must finish No. 1 to advance to the semifinal.
Vote for Sherry here. A Facebook account is required to cast a ballot. The public can also make a donation to the Homes for Wounded Warriors Foundation while voting.
