My motivation for this are these amazing boys. Everett will be 3 1/2 in August and Sutton is 15 months.
A little back story and timeline. Andy and I met Kelsey and Baron about 8 years ago when we lived in Rochester, MN. We had mutual friends, we were all about the same age, they were fun and awesome people who shared some of the same interests as we did and we spent quite a few weekends with them. We moved to Utah and as distance usually does, we lost contact. We exchanged Christmas cards and Facebook allowed us to keep up and "stalk" at a distance :) We ended up having kids around the same time with their little boy being 9 months older than Everett. Sutton was born March 2015 and in October 2015 they announced that they were expected a 2nd little boy as well! I was so very happy for them and was excited they were going to have 2 boys as well. A few short weeks later I was devastated to read a post about the late term miscarriage of their 2nd child Gabriel. If that isn't horrible enough, 6 weeks later Kelsey was diagnosed with breast cancer. The cancer was fueled by the pregnancy hormones estrogen and progesterone and therefore she is unable to be pregnant again. In January, she posted looking for anyone interested in being a surrogate to help them complete their family. I volunteered for various reasons. Number 1 are my boys. It has now been 5 months since I offered to do this for them. I still tear up every time I talk about it and most people know I am not an emotional person. Their situation could easily have been ours and I can not imagine life without Sutton. Andy and I have been very fortunate and lucky with our health and fertility. We know countless couples that have struggled with fertility and I have always wished there was a way for us to pass our fertility onto others. My mom had breast cancer when I was in high school and Andy's mom is currently battling pancreatic cancer. It's hard to find someone these days who's life hasn't been affected by cancer but it just felt like the right situation and the right time in our lives.
A lot has transpired since the beginning of this year. Kelsey has had surgery, egg retrieval, chemotherapy, egg fertilization/freezing/storage/transport, battling our clinic here in Denver, and been on a constant roller coaster of emotions and consistently has been so positive and optimistic it is truly amazing. On our end both Andy and I have had a lot of tough conversations with each other and many family and friends, been through lots of testing both laboratory and psychological and are looking forward to helping Kelsey and Baron complete their family.
So, Wednesday is the day! It will be a typical IVF procedure but with Kelsey and Baron's fertilized embryo. So cross your fingers or say a prayer that the embryo survives thawing, continues to grow and finds a comfy spot for the next 9 months. We appreciate all the positive thoughts and encouragement!
Andy and I are more than happy to answer any questions and if you would like more information feel free to check out Kelsey and Baron's blog or their Caring Bridge Website.
bktbradley.blogspot.com
www.caringbridge.org/visit/kelseybradley2
Love,
Lexi, Andy, Everett and Sutton
