Mother Of Six Acts As Surrogate For Brother And His Fiancé Who Spent Thousands On IVF
There are plenty of couples around the world who struggle on a daily basis with infertility or the inability to have their own children for various reasons, but with medical advances, things like surrogacy are becoming much more common.
When the Daily Mail posted a story recently about a woman who was acting as a surrogate so that her brother and his fiancé would be able to have a biological child, they couldn't have predicted the amount of attention the story would get.
The Brother–Sister Pair Have Always Been Close
42-year-old Tracey Hulse and her brother Anthony Deegan, 38, have always had a close relationship as far as sibling relationships go.
Anthony shared that they are really more like best friends than siblings and said that he even walked Tracey down the aisle on her wedding day when their father wasn't able to be there.
Anthony And His Partner Desperately Wanted A Child
Anthony and his fiancé Ray Williams, 30, dreamed of being parents to a biological child and were exploring options for how to make that happen.
The Manchester, U.K.-based couple had been searching for a surrogate for more than a year, attending social events hosted by surrogacy agencies, but they hadn't found anyone that they had connected with.
Surrogacy In The U.K.
Every country has different rules for surrogacy, with some not allowing it at all, whereas other countries rule that it cannot be a commercialized process.
The U.K. is one of the countries that allows for non-commercial surrogacy, meaning you cannot pay someone to carry your child—which wasn't an issue for Tracey and Anthony. Tracey was doing this for her brother, not for monetary gain.
Offering Herself Up For Surrogacy
Anthony and Ray were thrilled when Anthony's sister Tracey offered to be their surrogate so they could make their dreams of becoming parents a reality.
Tracey herself already had six children, so the couple knew that their baby would be in safe hands with the experienced mother.
They'd Never Even Considered Tracey
The couple shared that they hadn't even considered Tracey as an option because she had half a dozen children of her own already, and they didn't think she'd want to take on yet another pregnancy.
Tracey says she had offered twice already during the couple's year-long search, but they had laughed it off. A year into their search, Tracey offered a third time and made it clear that she was serious about it, which is when the couple agreed.
Tracey's Husband Raised Some Concerns At First
With six children of her own already, Tracey's husband raised some concerns about her age and the strain that a seventh pregnancy could potentially put on her body.
Tracey was honored to do this for her brother, though, and was willing to accept the risks, so her husband Wayne got on board as well.
Tracy Soon Started The Process Of Trying To Get Pregnant
The couple and Tracey started the IVF process through Care Fertility in Manchester soon after she agreed to be the surrogate mother.
Anthony and Ray used two anonymous egg donors, and they each donated sperm to implant for their baby.
It Was Clear In The Comments Who'd Read The Article Or Not
A huge point of contention for those commenting their nasty insights about the story was the fact that the baby's mother would supposedly also be its aunt—except those people clearly didn't pay attention, because that's not the case
Tracey was simply the gestational carrier for the baby; she is not the genetic mother of this child.
It Wasn't A Simple Process
Anthony and Ray spent more than £30,000 on multiple rounds of IVF in order to see their dreams realized.
The first two rounds didn't take, and Tracey said they were all devastated when those pregnancy tests came back. Ray and Anthony were determined, though, and agreed that as long as Tracey was willing, they would keep trying.
The Third Time's The Charm
The third round of IVF was the successful one, and Tracey was finally pregnant!
During the pregnancy, Tracey kept the couple up to date with regular photos and videos. The couple also bonded with their child in the womb by recording themselves reading stories so the baby would be able to hear their voices.
Welcoming Theo To The World
On October 12, 2020, baby Theo was welcomed into the world, weighing in at 7 pounds, 9 ounces, after Tracey had to undergo an emergency C-section.
Tracey admits that she felt anxious ahead of Theo's birth, worried he wouldn't bond with his fathers after being carried by her for nine months. Her fears weren't necessary, though, as she said he was "content" from the moment he was held by his dads.
So Who's The Father?
Ray and Anthony agreed before Theo was born that they weren't interested in finding out who Theo's biological father technically was.
All that's important to them is that Theo is their baby, and they are his fathers. They don't care whose sperm was used to create him.
One Big, Happy Family
A few months after his birth, Theo, his fathers, and his aunt are happier than ever. Ray and Anthony will forever be grateful to Anthony's sister Tracey for doing this monumental favor for them.
Tracey says that the new fathers are amazing parents and she couldn't be happier for them.
