Fertility nurses lead family through highs and lows of growing their family

In times of instability and heartbreak, it can be the constants in our lives that hold us together. For one Iowa family, Amanda Hoepner, RN, and Katie Luchtel, RN, were the warm, caring presence that sustained them through the highs and the lows of infertility.

In October 2018, the family came to UI Health Care’s Fertility and Reproductive Endocrinology clinic in Davenport seeking help conceiving a child. They quickly realized they were in the right place.

“Our patients know they’re not a number here,” Luchtel says. “They are real people, and so are we.”

An intrauterine insemination (IUI) completed that year was successful, and the couple welcomed a child in 2019. A little over a year later, they returned to the clinic hoping for another relatively easy process to grow their family again.

Though it can vary widely, many patients achieve a successful pregnancy within a few IUI or in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. But after four years, seven IUIs, nine rounds of IVF, and hundreds of appointments, the family experienced disappointment after disappointment.

“The patients went through so much that we became ‘family’ with them,” Hoepner says.

Oftentimes, people in their situation pause treatment or quit entirely. But between Hoepner and Luchtel, one was always calling the family to check in, making sure they were emotionally okay and reminding them that one bad day didn’t define their journey.  

Hoepner and Luchtel often saw the family as a pair to discuss the patient’s progress and just chat about life. They learned the couple’s story, and the couple learned theirs – asking about their kids by name, checking in via MyChart, and even offering to come work at the front desk.

“When you work with patients for that long, you don’t just say, ‘Here’s the plan.’ You have to build a relationship,” Hoepner says. “We always looked forward to seeing them – even though sometimes we had to give them bad news after failures with IUI and IVF.”

After four years, the couple finally achieved a successful pregnancy and in 2025, delivered another healthy child, a fertility success that Hoepner and Luchtel felt deeply. The nursing pair were later recognized with a DAISY Award after being nominated by the couple for their humanity in care, compassion, and dedication to making a permanent impact.

“At times, it felt like they wanted this second child for us as much as we did,” the couple wrote in their nomination form. "They stood beside us when it would have been easier to give up and I can say with absolute certainty that we wouldn’t be here without them.”

Hoepner and Luchtel still stay in touch with the family and look forward to receiving updates on the children’s lives.