Monday, September 17, 2012

“For this child we have prayed"


The following is an email [letter] we sent to family & friends announcing our pregnancy & asking for their blessing. 

Greg and I are blessed beyond words to have such wonderful family & friends. With the love and support from those around us we have been able to grow as a couple, and now as a family.

Due to my congenital heart condition, pregnancy has been challenging for us. After my miscarriages, the cardiologist reviewed my medical records and determined that I would never carry a child to term. Because my heart is too weak, she strongly suggested that we explore alternative methods for becoming parents.

Greg and I researched many options and discussed adoption in detail. We ultimately decided on gestational surrogacy so we can raise our biological child. I emailed Angela (our surrogate) and explained our situation. Then, I prayed that she would respond. A few days later, she answered my email and told us about herself: she has been married for 19+ years, is a mother of 3, an IV nurse at Pittsburgh Children’s hospital, and has been a surrogate for 3 other families. After meeting with her in West Virginia, Greg & I knew that she was the perfect surrogate for us.

In February 2012, I began the fertility treatments & the cycle was rough. However, on March 1st we transferred two embryos. Unfortunately, the embryos were not strong enough and the pregnancy did not come to fruition. Because the clinic is in North Carolina, on May 13th I went to stay with Sheri (my sister-in- law) and started the second round of treatments. On June 4th we transferred 2 perfect embryos! On July 9th an ultrasound confirmed our pregnancy & showed a very healthy 8 week old baby with a heartbeat of 165 beats per minute!!

Although it’s been a long and trying road over the past 2 years, we are happy to announce our pregnancy and hope that you will share in the joy of this journey!!