PATRICIA HEATON: I’m a mom on screen and off. Building a family is a journey of love and commitment

Some know me as Debra Barone, others as Frankie Heck. To my four boys, I am simply "Mom" — the name I cherish most. Though they are now grown, I will never forget the first time Sam, John, Joe and Dan first said it. That single word, a milestone, formed a bond only a parent and child can understand. Yet, for many women facing infertility, that same word carries a pain only they can truly know. 

There has been much discussion lately about the importance of having children. But if the conversation stops there, we miss the bigger picture.