This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

This week's Utah Crowd-Funding project is a chance to help couples dealing with infertility — and the well-meaning people who try and fail to be encouraging to them.

Provo author Rebekah South is writing "What to Respect When NOT Expecting," a book based on her and her husband's experiences when they learned they couldn't have children.

"We were surrounded by good people who cared about us and hoped for our family to grow, so when we went public with our news, they wanted to offer us encouragement and support," South writes on her project's Kickstarter page. "We received a lot of 'advice' or 'words of comfort,' and heard a lot of stories that were intended to be helpful, but just made it hurt more."

South also heard from a neighbor who suffered a similar problem, who introduced her to other women in the same predicament. That formed the basis for "a mini support group," where "we meet once a month and we talk about what we're going through, the crazy things people say to us, and how we're handling it all. We do a LOT of laughing, especially when it comes to the well-intended comments of people who haven't given their words a lot of thought."

South aims to make her book a guide both for would-be parents dealing with infertility, and for loved ones who may find themselves struggling to be supportive without blundering into saying the wrong things.

And while the book will deal with South's own experiences, she is also asking for others to share their stories with her.

South's goal on her Kickstarter campaign is $6,800 — and, with 30 days to go, she's already got $1,972 in pledges. Rewards for donors range from a free paperback copy of the book (for a $15 pledge) to "gratitude immeasurable from the countless couples who will benefit from the many books donated on your behalf" (for a $150 pledge).

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