Becoming a parent is often an unanticipated journey. For Samantha Rotbart and her husband Sam, that journey took an enormous, life-altering turn. Through the support of JCC Denver’s Jewish Baby University (JBU), the family was able to move past grief and celebrate new beginnings. When the couple conceived three and a half years ago, their first ultrasound delivered unexpected news. “The doctors said they were not seeing what they wanted to — a fetus—but instead found a grape cluster of tumors,” Samantha recalls.
In rare fertility cases like hers, a cancerous reaction can be triggered by the body’s rise in human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) pregnancy hormone. After a procedure to remove the non-viable tissues, Samantha underwent intravenous chemotherapy to shrink the tumors and was monitored until her pregnancy hormone returned to baseline. “It was a rough and emotionally intense year. It took a toll on me physically, but also mentally.” Fortunately, Samantha made a complete recovery. Doctors advised the couple to wait a full year before trying again.
Meet the van that carried Samantha, her partner, and their pup on an eight-month journey of healing, adventure, and rediscovery
“Knowing we had this time, we wanted to do something meaningful,” Samantha shares. They quit their jobs, bought a camper van, and embarked on an eight-month road trip with their dog, seeking grounding and reconnection. “It was nice living in a van and not looking in the mirror every day at my hair loss from chemo, but instead being out in the world,” she explains. The trip was a reset for the mind. “It put space between our first attempt and second attempt at parenthood.”
In February 2024, the couple conceived again and on November 14, 2024, they welcomed a healthy baby boy, Solomon Gene, into the world. “We were very protective this time around. We did not share the sex of the baby, take maternity photos, or even share our pregnancy with others until the end of my second trimester,” Samantha says. A pregnant friend recommended she join Jewish Baby University (JBU), which Samantha and her husband registered for during her second trimester. “We were nervous about the pregnancy, but JBU made it fun for us. It was a positive place where I could get excited about being pregnant again and be around others starting their own families.”
Having been involved in the Jewish community and JCC their entire lives, the couple was surprised to meet so many new friends through JBU, “people who were also becoming parents and wanted to raise their children in the Jewish community.” Recently, Samantha’s JBU cohort met up with their babies. “It was easy to already envision our babies going to ELS together or camps.” Samantha’s mother and lifelong JCC member, Kathy Berenstein, gifted the young family with a JCC membership, saying, “it is a beautiful way to raise a family. The JCC is a big part of my past, and now my future too, now that my offspring will be raising their family there.”
These days, Samantha and baby Solomon Gene attend Baby Café at JCC Denver on Wednesday mornings, which is a space for new parents to connect. Baby Café is a relaxed, drop-in community for new parents—whether they are nursing, bottle-feeding, or simply seeking support—offering professional lactation care, weighted feeds, and an opportunity to connect. Baby Café brings in local specialists to discuss a wide range of parenting topics, from nutrition and sleep routines to work-life balance, while providing plenty of time for questions and socializing.
After Baby Café, the pair often visit Solomon’s great-grandfather and eponym, Gene Schorsch, who at 96, maintains his health by swimming laps in the JCC’s outdoor pool. Sam knows her journey was hard but not devoid of special moments. “Everyone you meet is going through something, yet they still choose to get up every day and find community. It is amazing what you can do with people at your side.”
