Back in March of 2022, The Watercraft Journal welcomed multi-time IFWA and IJSBA World Champion – and long-time personal friend – Mark Gomez to our live podcast. During the hour-long conversation, Mark had mentioned how he and his wife Kaley had struggled with fertility complications, but were determined to conceive a child.
In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, Gomez announced that he and Kaley were expecting a daughter in April 2025. He wrote in a very touching Facebook post, “We are extremely grateful. Our journey to start a family has been challenging,” noting three years of trying resulting in two miscarriages (natural pregnancies), four IVF egg retrievals and two failed transfers.
“We’ve been keeping to ourselves as we went through the process. We look forward to reconnecting with everyone now that we are sharing our news. Thank you for the support and prayers for our baby,” Gomez continued. He concluded with a bit of encouragement for those in the same boat, sharing, “To all the families out there trying, our hearts go out to you as we know the heartache of loss and infertility.”
Despite its ills, a small blessing of social media is the way it permits us to share in other’s triumphs and help hold up our friends who might be struggling. With that, all of us here at The Watercraft Journal wish Mark and Kaley Gomez a safe and uncomplicated final trimester and delivery of their baby girl.