Sharing Our Stories: Jessika’s Experience with Egg Donation & Surrogacy

We used donated eggs to create our embryos and my husband’s sperm. Both of our surrogates were gestational, using our own embryos. My husband Bryan and I always knew we wanted to have kids. I was born with a rare genetic disorder called Holt-Oram syndrome which is an autosomal dominant disorder that causes heart defects and affects bones in the upper limbs. As a child, I underwent multiple heart surgeries and hand reconstructions and as an adult, live with a permanent pacemaker. My lifetime prognosis is excellent but we were concerned about me passing the disorder on to our children and the knowledge that any pregnancy would be extremely high risk for me, led my husband and I to begin our journey to parenthood using donor eggs and a gestational surrogate.

We were referred to Family Source Consultants and were matched with an amazing surrogate named Sam, a mother of two, who had been a surrogate once before and was eager to help another family. I learned so much from Sam and can never thank her enough for the amazing gift that she gave us, “G”. When “G” turned one, we decided that we would like to add to our little family. Sam was unable to be our surrogate again for medical reasons, though she sure wanted to (and we would have loved that). So we turned to Family Source Consultants again and they found us Nicki, a first time surrogate and mother of two. Nicki was also amazing. Funny and caring like Sam, she gave us “E”.

These two women will forever be a part of our lives. Their pictures hang on the wall of our living room and we talk to “G” often about how she was in Sam’s belly-pointing to the picture on the wall with Bryan, Sam and I in the delivery room, full of smiles and anticipation.

The hardest part of the process, once I got past the idea that I would not be carrying our child was the time. The time spent waiting to find an egg donor and the disappointment when something didn’t work out. The time spent wondering if we would match with someone. Wanting so badly for everything to work out and wondering if it would. Now, all of that time seems like a lifetime ago. I’m always very glad to speak with other intended mothers or people who are considering surrogacy because I want to tell them that though the waiting seems unending, it will all be worth it when you hold that sweet little baby in your arms. And you know…in that moment that this was the way you were meant to become a parent.

The best part, our girls! They are everything that I had hoped they would be and more. I would also add that meeting and loving the two women who were our surrogates is the other best part of it all! They are the absolute best. Hands down.

Jessika, Human Resources Director
Bloomington, IN

Daughter, “G”, 2013 – Born in Illinois via gestational surrogate.
Daughter, “E”, 2015 – Born in Indiana via gestational surrogate.