WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) – UB women's basketball head coach Becky Burke is filled with a sense of joy and peace as she watches her wife cradle their 1-month-old son.
“Having him there, going through everything that we went through, and having your guy, it's just, what more do you want in your life?” Burke said.
The couple cherishes this moment with their young child, but the journey to experiencing it was beautiful, emotional, and at times difficult.
IVF journey
Burke and his wife, Savannah, knew it would be a long process before they had a child.
“Once we decided we wanted to start a family, we wanted to start right away, and we were mentally and financially ready for all of that and knew we were in a great place as a married couple.” said Becky.
In April 2022, Becky's work life changed dramatically when she was named the new head coach of the UB women's basketball program.
Soon after, her home life was in perfect order.
Becky and Savannah got married in March 2023 and soon decided to explore options for having a baby, specifically IVF. The couple began the IVF process during the offseason between Becky's first and second seasons with the Bulls.
“We both wanted to really, really be involved in this process and feel like we were part of the pregnancy and part of him, so we did the egg retrieval and she carried my eggs. And of course we found a donor,” Becky said. He said.
The physical and mental challenges associated with the egg retrieval procedure are a lot for one person to handle at once, let alone having to worry about a busy work life. While Becky wanted him to succeed in his personal life, she was investing time and energy into his on-court victories.
“Yeah, it's really funny because the staff and the players had no idea that we were working hard and that we were going through something like this,” Becky said.
To understand the taxing process, let's start with the physical aspect that Becky experienced.
“It's definitely not comfortable,” Becky explained.
“The ovaries grow to the size of a softball and try to produce and retrieve as many eggs as possible. From there they test them to make sure they are healthy eggs, and that there is nothing genetically wrong with them.” , we want to collect as many eggs as possible to choose the best ones because we're narrowing it down to the ones that will fertilize the best.”
On top of that, Savannah had to give Becky the shot over and over again leading up to the surgery, performing it anytime and anywhere, even in her car if necessary.
Then there's also the emotional side of knowing that something could go wrong.
“They test everything and take every precaution,” Becky explained.
“We do blood tests every time we go to the doctor's office, so it's not surprising that something could go wrong at any time. We might need to refill some pills, or we might need to get our levels up in this area and our levels in this area. Everything must be perfectly aligned by the time the egg retrieval and transfer are complete, so there are no problems or bumps in the road at any point along the way. I knew there was a possibility.”
After Becky's egg retrieval was successful, the couple hoped to get pregnant the first time, and Savannah began preparing for the embryo transfer.
“I had to have an eight-week progesterone injection and it started to hurt a little bit, so Becky had to give me an injection. It's just different hormones. I had to take a lot of different medications,” Savannah said. “She was very positive throughout, very nice, and reassured me of what we're all about and that she's such a great partner.”
you are pregnant!
That positive thinking led to what they had been praying for: a positive pregnancy test.
Last summer, a phone call from their doctor telling them Savannah was pregnant changed their lives. A baby boy was on the way.
The next fun part is sharing the good news with your family and friends, including your team.
“We set it up perfectly, got them in the film room, and I acted like it was totally business, but Savannah was there a lot, so she ended up being there. “I did,” Becky said with a smile. “So when she was in the room with us, they didn't think anything of it. Then she came forward and we pulled out the ultrasound. And that's probably the most memorable One of the things, obviously our involvement was phenomenal, but this was definitely right up there with their response.”
As Becky hinted, this wasn't the first time they shared a life-changing moment with the team. In December 2022, Becky proposed to Savannah on the court after practice, surrounded by players, coaches and staff.
“Our story is all about the team because we never intended for it to end on great news,” Becky said.
That was in August. The couple had a lot to look forward to, as Becky was starting her second season as UB head coach and Savannah was pregnant. The couple had been counting down the days until Savannah's due date, March 23, but the due date turned out to be much earlier than expected.
surprise delivery
Fast forward to the first week of March, when the Bulls' regular season was coming to a close. As Becky was preparing for a road game at Kent State on March 2nd, Savannah began having trouble conceiving.
“She obviously had complications, like high blood pressure, but for a few weeks before he was born, the OBs were always saying if something got worse or if she needed to go to the hospital at any time, like you guys need. It was like, 'Be prepared in case something happens.' Be prepared for that,” Becky said.
“Then we went to Kent State and it was a shame to leave her behind. It got to the point where she couldn't travel, she couldn't come to games or anything like that, because at any time Because we need her to give birth.'' She had to be ready. So she went to Kent State, but she didn't feel good about going to Kent State because she knew she might get in at any moment and she knew she was going to be separated from her. Ta. ”
It was a very difficult decision for Becky. But if Savannah went into labor, she had a plan to get her home. Fortunately they didn't need it.
Savannah continued to check her blood pressure at home while Becky was away, but it remained at a level that did not require induction. But a few days later, Savannah got a call from her doctor telling her it was time.
“I was sitting here on the couch, literally about to go get my nails done, and as I was grabbing my car keys and heading out the door, my OB called me and said, 'So, you're going. If you go to the hospital, they'll guide you as if it's time to have a baby,” Savannah said.
Meanwhile, Becky was preparing with her team for a home game against Central Michigan when associate head coach Jaycee Brooks broke the news.
“Literally, I was in the middle of the movie, completely locked in and everyone was focused, and Jaycee starts walking towards the front of the film room and I’m like, ‘What’s wrong, Coach? For example, what do you need? ” Becky said. “Then she was like, 'I have to answer the phone.' At that moment, I thought the whole team knew. So I literally jumped out of my seat and (Jaycee) took over the film and I I left and the team did that.'' We didn't see each other until tipoff against Central Michigan. ”
“Everything came to mind in that moment,” Savannah said with a smile. “I felt like I was having a baby today. So it was pretty crazy, but I was happy to be able to tell him that because I think, like a lot of people, it was a planned thing. …or his water broke or whatever, he was a little confused, but he was perfect.”
On March 5, 2024, Banks Allen Burke was born.
“When he came out, to see him and him on top of her, we had those moments and took those photos and videos. I mean, we always use those I mean, I’m watching,” Becky said. “It was something that was indescribable. Everyone always says that, but when you actually have him born, how you feel, the love and new purpose that it has, it's really indescribable. But it was incredible.”
“He's so perfect. I know we're biased, but he's so perfect that neither are we,” Savannah laughed.
“Let's take a look at what our love for each other could produce and the whole IVF experience that brought us really close as we kept it a secret from all of her family and friends. So it's a very intimate time for us to grow and learn more about what we're going to be like as parents, and then to see how natural it is for her to be with him every time he comes. I couldn't be happier and he makes the sleepless nights worth it.”
Baby Banks and Buffalo Basketball
Banks arrived nearly three weeks early, allowing the couple to adjust to life as new parents while Becky's work progressed smoothly.
The Bulls had two regular season home games remaining after he was born, playing against Central Michigan the day after he arrived and against Ball State a few days later.
With the postseason just around the corner, Becky and UB headed to Cleveland to play in the MAC Tournament the following week. Savannah brought Banks on the trip as the couple tried to balance caring for a baby during the biggest period of Becky's career.
“I mean, we were there for four or five days, and how many hours of sleep did we get a night? It was wild,” Becky said.
I'm going to go coach my A game in the Mid-American Conference tournament and he's in the hotel room and we're all hunkered down there and I'm either getting ready or coaching the game all day. And then I went home and I was like, now I have to take care of him all night, so we were like, really, really, in the trenches. I was there. ”
It may have been difficult, but the Bulls' performance made the sleepless nights worth it.
UB defeated top-seeded Toledo in the MAC semifinals, a monumental win in Becky's second year as coach. The Bulls fell short of winning the conference title game, but the real victory came at home.
“We talk about winning and being successful in basketball and everything else. It used to be the only thing I cared about, but now it's a completely different perspective for me.” smiled Becky.
Becky's eyes are set on the offseason now, as she's in full adoption mode as she embraces life as a new mom to a one-month-old baby. And in the process, Banks met some of her new friends: Becky's players. She said fifth-year guard Chelia Watson was the first to hug him.
“(Chelia) has been our biggest cheer leader on this since day one,” Becky said. “'How's my baby, how's my baby?' Every time Savannah comes to practice, she rubs her entire belly, even when she didn't have a belly. So from day one, Chelia was very invested and very supportive. It has been.”
And Becky might be able to use that to her advantage in the future.
“We probably have a built-in team of 15 babysitters in case we need a date night or something like that. Actually, it's not 15 people, because we have a yes list and a no list. Because I said it was and I told them that too,” Becky laughed.
Heather Prusak is a sports reporter who joined the News 4 team in 2020. Learn more about her work here.