Driven by the stark reality that half of all recurrent pregnancy loss cases go completely unexplained, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association (RPLA) co-founder Megan Hanson shares her story and discusses turning patient heartbreak into scientific progress. Megan opens up about her personal path through six consecutive miscarriages, the trauma and anxiety of navigating pregnancy loss, and growing her family, first through gestational surrogacy in 2021 and later through an unexpected spontaneous pregnancy in 2023. She reflects on the dismissive reactions often encountered in healthcare settings after miscarriages and underscores why medical curiosity and emotional support must be prioritized after every loss.
Turning her pain into systemic action, Megan explains how she and her husband founded RPLA on the principle that “unexplained is unacceptable,” asserting that finding answers requires dedicated research funding and prioritization. She highlights RPLA’s key initiatives, including support and resources for anyone navigating recurrent pregnancy loss, an annual research grant funded in partnership with the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the launch of the RPL Community Registry on the I Am Rare platform. This HIPAA-compliant registry allows anyone aged 18 or older with multiple losses to contribute self-reported health and care navigation data, creating a community-powered data set to help researchers discover root causes, identify and eliminate healthcare barriers, and turn collective lived experiences into meaningful scientific progress. Ultimately, Megan emphasizes how patient-contributed data can give purpose to personal grief while finding answers and improving care for future families.
Megan is the Executive Director of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association (RPLA) which she co-founded with her husband after their sixth consecutive miscarriage. RPLA is dedicated to eliminating recurrent pregnancy loss through the advancement of research into causes and treatments; to providing support and resources to those affected; and to increasing awareness of the impact of miscarriage and fertility challenges on individuals and families. Megan’s professional experience includes health care marketing and non-profit management. She holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management. She became a mother via gestational surrogacy in 2021 and grew her family in 2023 when she delivered her only successful pregnancy at age 40. Megan lives in Seattle with her husband and their two children.
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