A trust set up to help fund fertility treatment for people who do not fit the criteria for public funding is receiving an application a week.
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The Fertility Funding Charitable Trust has made its first grant to a Christchurch couple for a cycle of IVF treatment.
The trust has been established by Fertility Associates, whose medical director, Simon Kelly, said there were gaps in public funding for women over 40 with unexplained infertility, or who had already had a child.
Dr Kelly said there had been a fantastic response to the trust.
Christchurch woman Bodeine said she and her partner got public funding for an IVF cycle that produced their first child, but could not afford $15,000 for treatment for a second child.
She said news their application for funding from the trust was successful came after they lost a baby during a pregnancy that her father helped to fund.
"I just cried and cried and cried and I don't even know if what I said made sense when I got the call, but it was the best news we'd had all year - it was amazing."
Bodeine said she would like to see more public funding for infertile couples.
Dr Kelly said feedback from the successful couple was "just overwhelming really".
"I think the hardest thing is there were so many couples that applied who equally were deserving and it would have been nice to be able to help them all, but you're certainly limited by the funds that are currently in the trust."
He said the hardest thing was not being able to help equally deserving couples but the trust only had so much money available.
Dr Kelly said an IVF cycle cost $12,000 to $13,000, and they were looking for corporate sponsorship and benevolent donors.
