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Home › Articles › Alternative Family Building › The Surrogacy Search

The Surrogacy Search

In Their Own Words

Part Two

By Michele St. Martin

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

The Real Thing

For Suzie, 32, and her husband Ed, of Lincoln University, Pa., the feeling of their surrogate being family didn't happen as a result of the surrogate carrying their child – their surrogate, Tara, already was family; she is Ed's younger sister.

Suzie and her husband, Ed, had been married for two years when their daughter Emily was born prematurely. Suzie was just 20 weeks pregnant when her water broke; she was in the hospital on bedrest when she went into labor at 28 weeks. Emily weighed just over two pounds and lived for only three hours. Five weeks later, Suzie began hemorrhaging. During surgery, her doctor discovered that during pregnancy, the placenta had perforated the wall of her uterus. An emergency hysterectomy saved Suzie's life.

About a year after Emily's birth and death, Suzie and Ed had just started the adoption process when they received a letter from Ed's younger sister, Tara. Tara enclosed a copy of a newspaper article about two sisters, one of whom acted as surrogate for the others. "She finished her letter with a P.S., 'I am interested in this if you are,'" says Suzie.

After coming to an agreement with Tara and her husband, Chris, Suzie and Ed moved from Arizona to Delaware, where Tara and her family lived, and Tara became their surrogate. Since Suzie still has her ovaries, her eggs were used in the IVF procedure. Suzie's and Ed's son, Keegan, who grew in his Aunt Tara's womb, is now a healthy, happy 6-year-old.

One for All
Sharon, 36, of Rochester, N.Y., is currently pregnant with twins in an independent gestational surrogate arrangement with family friends. She has been married for 15 years and has a son who is 13 and a daughter who is 4. Sharon's husband, Joe, supports the decision to act as surrogate. "His feelings seem to be that we are helping create a complete family for another couple," she says. "What could be better than that?"

Sharon also enjoys the support of friends and family. "After answering questions about my health and procedures and explaining exactly what surrogacy is, I have had a very supportive reaction and feel lucky that my friends and family understand my motives," she says. 


Pages:  1  2  3  4  

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