Surrogacy Success After Years of Trying

"Hi, we've just settled into our roles as new parents, and we're so grateful for this chance to share our story! We hope it offers some support and strength to anyone who's currently on this journey or thinking about taking it.

We got married when I was 36 and he was 43. I had gotten sick in my early 30s and wanted to be fully recovered before we tied the knot. Knowing we had a late start, we went straight to a fertility clinic after our wedding and began the challenging IVF process. Sadly, in our second year of marriage, I became ill again and needed major surgery. My ongoing health issues during those years caused my husband a great deal of worry.

Throughout these years, I refused to give up hope despite being in late 30s. When I was healthy and stable, I consulted with three different fertility specialists at clinics across Taiwan. I underwent ten egg retrievals, hoping to obtain a few embryos that passed PGS testing and then patiently wait for the right time to attempt pregnancy. I understood the critical importance of egg and embryo quality, so I willingly accepted strong medications and explored various treatment options, including Traditional Chinese Medicine, ovarian PRP, and IV laser therapy (ILIB). These treatments and medications, along with the challenges of overcoming major illnesses, placed a significant strain on my body.

My husband was concerned about the medications required for embryo implantation and the difficulties of managing my chronic illness during pregnancy. We also worried that pregnancy would interfere with the radiation-related medical screenings essential for my long-term health. Considering the potential risks to both me and the baby, we ultimately decided to pursue surrogacy to achieve our dream of parenthood.

Surrogacy is legal in the U.S., and California offers strong legal protections for both intended parents and surrogates. Parental rights can even be transferred to the intended parents before the baby is born, minimizing potential disputes. We were confident that surrogacy in the U.S. would be our best option.

We met Molly through a mutual friend who is an LGBTQ+ parent. Molly's empathy, insightful guidance, professional medical expertise, and extensive industry experience made her an invaluable support system throughout this journey. We felt incredibly comfortable working with her, given our shared Taiwanese background. She connected us with a surrogacy agency and expertly guided us through each step: transporting embryos to the U.S., finding a suitable surrogate, conducting medical screenings, finalizing the surrogacy contract, the embryo transfer procedure, pregnancy monitoring, and the delivery.

Despite our surrogate experiencing unexpected preeclampsia, which led to our baby's premature birth and a three-month stay in the NICU, we are incredibly grateful to have been blessed with a child. Holding our baby for the first time and the thought of being called 'Mom' - it's something I never imagined possible. Surrogacy is illegal in Taiwan, and since I couldn't carry a child myself, this whole journey felt almost surreal.

Since our baby was born prematurely, we've faced increased medical needs and frequent hospital visits.

However, this experience has shown me the incredible strength of parents who would do anything for their children. A parent's love is truly unconditional and unwavering. Even though our baby may face challenges ahead, we feel incredibly fortunate. My husband and I are filled with immense gratitude.

Thank you to Labryo, Molly, Dr. Vu, our surrogate, and everyone who supported us on this journey. Having a child truly enriches and completes a parent's life. We now understand the depth of unconditional love--it's something you can only truly grasp by experiencing it firsthand.

We sincerely hope that everyone who dreams of becoming a parent one day will be blessed with a child of their own."