BIG Baby News (like really REALLY big)!

Last April, after learning I was two-years cancer free but unable to carry a child, I posted on this blog to ask if anyone would consider being our surrogate. It was a bold move, and it was hard not to consider that I might be left without a response, and quite embarrassed. Within hours, however, volunteers started responding with heartfelt enthusiasm. Over the next few weeks, more than a dozen of you offered the most unbelievable sacrifice. Still today, we are in awe and overwhelmed with gratitude.

And the surrogate is . . .

Angela and Aaron, with their adorable boys, Austin, Aiden, and Alexander.

Half a lifetime ago, as a high school junior, I won the Idaho State Track Championship. My coaches, Angela and Aaron Stark, were a young, enthusiastic
couple with whom I remained friends well after graduation. They now live in Kentucky, where they are parents to three darling boys; and as luck would have it, both are readers of the blog. When Angela made the decision to help me become a mother, her enthusiasm was irresistible. In true coach fashion, her email subject line read: “Let’s do this!” And so we did!

Angela is Awesome…and fertile 🙂

Miles and I hit the jackpot with Angela: she is pure love. She has made the cross-country trip to LA multiple times, undergone extensive testing, pumped herself with hormones, and was eager to start anew when the first attempt was unsuccessful.

Angela somehow continues to juggle a new job, parenting, running marathons, and chairing fundraisers, while going out of her way to keep me connected with all she is experiencing. We text, we call, we message, we email. Angela and Aaron were even in our kitchen via FaceTime when we learned the news she was pregnant.

Just a few weeks ago, Miles and I were in Kentucky with them for the first ultrasound where we saw . . .drumroll, please . . . THE TWINS!

Every Wednesday, Angela sends us a Baby Bump picture update. Last week, the twins were as big as peaches…

…and at 14 weeks, they are now our little Lemons 🙂

 

 

It takes a village…

They say it takes a village to raise a child. In our case, it took a village to create one. . . actually, two!

When I was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer in June 2012, news spread rapidly among family and friends. We were incredibly touched by the outpouring of love and support we received. We welcomed meals and doggie care, but felt a fair amount of guilt accepting the checks people were sending.

However, within weeks, the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis became downright scary. We soon learned that care that goes “above and beyond” most often also goes beyond insurance coverage. An initial test for genetic mutations at $7,000 was the eye opener. Clinical trials – often the only place to get access to cutting edge new treatments – seemed likely in my future. Many of these, like immunotherapy, could only be found abroad at that time. Furthermore, Miles and I were determined to preserve our fertility, and were soon embarking on the significant cost of this endeavor.

Today, my medical treatments have exceeded more than $1,000,000. We are fortunate that a vast majority of this has been covered by health insurance, and thanks to your support and donations, Miles and I have been able to fund our fertility treatments.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your donations allowed us to preserve the 9 embryos that provided me with hope when I needed it most. They gave me the strength to fight through difficult treatments. And today, as two of those embryos are growing, you are giving us the family we have always dreamed of.

Miles and I are overjoyed to share this incredible news with all of you. Thank you for your support, your contributions, and your love. We wouldn’t be here without you. Team EmBen rocks!

Living in the Moment,

Emily & Miles