Three families in the Kansas City Jewish community have welcomed “Priya babies” since the end of December.
The newborns’ families were all helped by Priya, a resource for Kansas City Jewish community members who are facing issues on their path to parenthood. Priya provides financial support, genetic testing, spiritual and educational resources, professional resources (such as legal help and referrals), and emotional support through counseling, support groups and mentorship.
Daniel and Darcy Demetre Hill welcomed a daughter, Helaina, on Dec. 31, 2021, and Josh Goldsmith and Lauren Schwartz welcomed a son, Grayson, on Feb. 2, 2022. A third family also had a newborn in 2022 with help from Priya. In total, four “Priya babies” are expected in 2022.
Priya helped both the Hill family and the Goldsmith/Schwartz family with mitigating the costs of fertility treatments.
“My husband and I were really at a fork in the road in our fertility journey,” Darcy Demetre Hill said. “If we wanted to go forward, we would have to start over with a new egg retrieval, which is the most expensive and stressful part of the journey for us. At this point, I reached out to Priya.”
Fertility treatments often cost tens of thousands of dollars. Priya can help Jewish families seeking treatments by providing grants between $1,500 and $10,000.
“The financial part of making a baby should not burden you when deciding to grow your family,” said Molly Hess, Priya’s program director. “If Priya can alleviate that, even for families who do make good salaries, we are happy to help. It is not based on income; it’s based on the whole picture.”
The Hill family learned about Priya from friends who donate to the program annually. Despite being hesitant to apply for the grant, Hill said she was assured that Priya was open to all Jewish couples and that her family could receive support regardless of income.
Goldsmith learned about Priya through Annie Glickman, one of Priya’s founders. Rabbi David and Annie Glickman established the Priya Fund in Dallas, Texas, in 2009, after their own fertility struggles. In 2015, they established a Priya Fund in Kansas City. They named the organization after the Hebrew word for fruitfulness.
“A big part of Priya that we’re working on is education and helping people make the most informed choices for their health and their family,” Hess said. “From the second you say, ‘We’re ready to start a family,’ there are so many elements that I think people don’t necessarily think about… even if you have an easy journey, it’s not simple.”
Hess said that people often have trouble self-identifying that they need help, and the topic of fertility is often considered taboo. Priya’s and her goal is to encourage openness regarding fertility struggles, encourage empathy from families not affected, and help more Jewish families in Kansas City have children.
In addition to financial support and resources, Priya offers genetic testing through JScreen, a program associated with Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Those ordering the JScreen test receive 75% off (from $150 to $50) a spit test for over 200 genetic diseases, many of which are commonly found in Jewish populations, such as Tay-Sachs disease and cystic fibrosis .
“We really encourage it, especially for young couples who are maybe just starting their journey, because there are genetic diseases that we as Jews carry,” Hess said.
Hess estimates that since the Kansas City Priya’s establishment, it has helped between 35 and 40 families on their journey to start a family.
Hess said that every “Priya baby” gets a welcome gift. The parents also get a gift, because “they did all the hard work,” she said. After a baby is born, Priya can provide resources for parenting groups and programs such as PJ Library, but it largely focuses on the fertility help and support prior to a baby’s birth.
The Goldsmith/Schwartz family and the Hill family both said that their newborns were doing well.
“We named [our baby Helaina] because it means ‘shining light,’” Darcy Demetre Hill said. “2021 was a rough year for us, but she was born on the last day of the year. She’s our shining light of 2021… Our family is so thankful to have her. Our family feels complete now.”
Both families expressed their gratitude for Priya’s help.
“Overall, the process [with Priya] was great, and the people we dealt with were incredibly kind and supportive,” Goldsmith said.
“Our experience with Priya was incredible,” Hill said. “We are so thankful for the services provided. We feel more supported and connected to the K.C. Jewish community.”
Priya is funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, Community Legacy Fund and The Flo Harris Foundation (Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City), Menorah Heritage Foundation, Menorah Women’s Foundation, J-LEAD, the Polsky Family Foundation, and many private donors.
For more information about Priya, please contact Hess at or (913) 327-8250.
By Sam Kricsfeld, Editor
