In 2017, Jessica Allen told ABC News, “No woman in the world should have to live their life without experiencing the love and the bond from a mother and a child.” The mother of two kids had been working for a couple who wanted a baby of their own. Yes, she was a surrogate mother! It began smoothly, but things changed after the delivery. This was what she told People: “I’d never do it again. I’m not the only one with a nightmare story, but I am the only one with a story like this.”
Everyone Was Happy That This Surrogate Mother Had Twins Until The Truth Came Out…
Jessica Allen Was Only Trying To Help
Jessica Allen hails from California. She is the mother of two kids at the time of the story. She thought that she was doing a good thing when she agreed to be the surrogate mother for a Chinese couple. Their home country forbids surrogacy, which is why they came to the United States to do such a thing.
Jessica Allen Was Only Trying To Help
A Difficult Decision
If you ever went through failed conception, you can understand why the couple made the decision that they did. Allen had been kind enough to offer her help to people in situations like this. It is always a tough decision to go for a surrogate mother. Oftentimes, the couple in question already tried to get pregnant and explored other options like IVF before this.
A Difficult Decision
A Good Candidate
Should you want to be a surrogate, you will have to undergo lots of procedures, tests, and processes. Aside from making sure that you want to do this, a future surrogate mother must consider if she wants to be a gestational or traditional surrogate mother. She would also need to work with a surrogacy agency and maybe even get a surrogacy lawyer.
A Good Candidate
All For The Baby
Back then, she was working for Omega Family Global, which is based in San Diego. In April 2016, they implanted a male embryo into her uterus through a process known as in vitro fertilization. Surrogates need to intake estrogen and progestogen to ensure that the womb is ready for this process. She did her best to follow the instructions of the doctors to make sure the pregnancy is a success.
All For The Baby
The Unthinkable Happened
After six weeks, the doctors told her that she had two babies in her womb! According to them, it was rare for embryos to split but it does happen. Allen was glad to hear that there was nothing strange about it. More importantly, her clients were happy to hear about it.
The Unthinkable Happened
Making Adjustments
This was going to mean additional expenses, of course. Allen was due to receive $30k as a surrogate. When they learned that they were getting two babies, they added $5k more to her monthly paycheck. If you ask us, this made a lot of sense. Everything was going just fine until the date of the delivery.
Making Adjustments
Something Was Off About The Babies
Allen got a C-section on the 12th of December in 2016. This was 38 weeks later. She gave birth to a pair of kids, even though she did not see them until the opaque screen came between them. They were taken as soon as she gave birth, but she got the chance to do so that night. She told People, “One looked full Chinese, the other didn’t look full Chinese. It was clear that they were not identical… but I didn’t ask questions.”
Something Was Off About The Babies
An Important Message
After the pregnancy, everyone returned to their lives. She returned home to recover from the pregnancy and bought a new home for the family. A month later, they got a text from her female client as they were about to move in. It was a photo of the twins and an expression of doubt. Allen told New York Post that her client asked, “Have you thought about why they are different?” and “They are not the same, right?”
An Important Message
Very Rare But Not Impossible
In that week, the babies took a DNA test. The results were shocking! They found out that they were not twins at all. One of them was the child of Allen and her husband. The embryos were found to have different gestational ages as well. This is what they call superfetation, in which a pregnant woman starts to ovulate. Allen conceived a baby while there was an implanted embryo inside of her body already!
Very Rare But Not Impossible
Unfortunate And Unexpected Developments
Everyone was shocked to hear this. After all, it was not a part of the plan whatsoever. Allen and her husband also followed the instructions of the doctor, which meant they had to avoid intimacy until the embryo had already taken root. “As per my contract, Wardell [Allen’s husband] and I did not have intercourse until we were given permission by the IVF doctor, who recommended the use of condoms,” she told the New York Post. Something else rare happened: contraceptive failure broke!
Unfortunate and Unexpected Developments
A Complete Surprise
Allen and her spouse just learned that they had a third kid they were not prepared for whatsoever. They were shocked. “I was panicking. My husband and I were panicking. We had no idea how this came about and we had no idea how we were going to prepare for a child overnight. We just moved into a new house, we didn’t have any more money,” she explained to People.
A Complete Surprise
More Bad News In Store
However, they still wanted to bring their son home as soon as they learned they were the parents. By that time, things started to move out of their control. They learned that it was not going to be easy. This Chinese couple did not want anything to do with it as soon as they found out that it was not theirs. Allen was then informed that her child was in the care of an employee of the agency.
More Bad News In Store
Adding Insult To Injury
What is even worse was that there was something else waiting for Allen and her husband. The Chinese couple felt frustrated about the entire situation, so they asked Allen to pay them $22,000. This was the money they paid her for after learning that she was expecting two children and not one.
Adding Insult To Injury
The Unbelievable Demands They Received
“We’d already spent most of the money we earned from the surrogacy contract, but now we were apparently on the hook for thousands of dollars,” she explained to the New York Post. Not only that, but the agency also wanted thousands of bucks for taking care of her child!
The Unbelievable Demands They Received
A Parent’s Worst Nightmare
There were a lot of things that a parent should not have to ever hear. Allen heard one such thing then. She got the news that they planned to put the child up for adoption! She felt incredibly alarmed to hear such a thing. She now knew that it was important for her to do everything she could for her son.
A Parents Worst Nightmare
The Search For Foster Parents
She told New York Post: “To my disgust, a caseworker from the agency lined up parents to adopt him and ‘absorb’ the money we owed to the [couple]. Or, if that didn’t work out, the [couple] were thinking of putting [my son] up for adoption, as they were still his legal parents.” As you can see, this was very tricky for them. The agency was not willing to go without a fight!
The Search For Foster Parents
Adopt Or Buy Your Own Son
After hearing that the intended mother wanted to put the child up for adoption, they started losing hope. “I thought I wasn’t going to get him back because they were pressuring me to pay this money back first. Then they were saying that the intending mom was thinking about giving him up for adoption… I thought I had a child out there that I was gonna be forced to let go of all because I couldn’t buy him or because I couldn’t adopt him,” she explained to People.
Adopt Or Buy Your Own Son
Determining Who Was At Fault
It was then that the fight truly began. Allen and her husband took out debts to get the child back. They were clearly prepared to do everything if meant getting their child back. They needed to find out who was at fault here, however.
Determining Who Was At Fault
Who’s To Blame?
Some people blamed the situation on Allen and her husband. Meanwhile, others thought that the IV doctor was the one who deserved the blame. Despite everything, some people thought the intended parents were in the wrong. However, you should remember that they paid good money for everything!
Whos To Blame
The Agency Might Have Been Manipulating Them
Allen and her husband got an attorney who would help retrieve their child. She did not blame the clients since she knew that the agency was behind it. Allen told People this in reference to her: “It’s not her fault… The agency put it in her head that I was going to try to sue her. I never said those words. Since she was scared that I was going to sue her, she starts sending me all kinds of text messages.”
The Agency Might Have Been Manipulating Them
Sprouting Excuses Left And Right
It was a long affair that came with a lengthy legal battle. It felt just like a game of cat and mouse! “We tried to get him on numerous occasions, but one excuse they gave us was the intended parents didn’t want to sign over the power of attorney, so we didn’t get him… We got another call and we were supposed to get him, then we didn’t because they were thinking about giving him up for adoption,” she explained when she was interviewed by People.
Sprouting Excuses Left And Right
What The Surrogacy Agency Had To Say
Omega Family Solution gave them quite a hard time, “By its very nature surrogacy is a complicated journey which necessitates the support and care of agencies, parents, surrogates, psychologist, lawyers, and a host of other professionals. As with any pregnancy, issues do arise which require great care, attention to detail and respect for the process and the emotions of all involved.”
What The Surrogacy Agency Had To Say
Two Months Before She Got To Meet Her Child
Allen delivered the children on the 12th of December in 2016. It took three failed attempts before the embryo took root. At last, she finally got the chance to hold her son for the first time. During an interview with the New York Post, she explained, “And so, on [February] 5, I finally met a caseworker from Omega in a Starbucks parking lot in Menifee, [California], where she handed over our son, whom we’ve renamed Malachi. The moment was incredibly emotional, and I started hugging and kissing my boy.”
Two Months Before She Got To Meet Her Child
Turning Her Experience Into A Cautionary Tale
Allen said that she did not want to work as a surrogate mother ever again. However, she did not have any regrets. “[My husband and I] weren’t planning to expand our family so soon, but we treasure Malachi with all our hearts. I don’t regret becoming a surrogate mom because that would mean regretting my son. I just hope other women considering surrogacy can learn from my story. And that a greater good will come out of this nightmare,” she told the New York Post.
Turning Her Experience Into A Cautionary Tale
Who Were The Victims?
Some people believed that the Chinese couple was the true victim. A commenter said, “To comprehend this story, we must also see it from the parents’ side. I can say that virtually no one turns to surrogacy before suffering a tremendous amount of heartache — miscarriages, stillbirths, failed IVFs, failed adoptions, emergency hysterectomies, etc. And because it costs tens of thousands of dollars, no one approaches surrogacy lightly.”
Who Were The Victims
Dealing With Another Legal Beast
The custody battle is over, so Allen and her husband have the child and a lot of debt. “It’s very stressful financially, it’s put us in debt. We’re barely getting by right now and it stressed me out emotionally because this agency turned their backs on me… Knowing that for the first two months of [Malachi’s] brand new life that he was in the arms of strangers, that breaks my heart. It’s really heartbreaking.”
Dealing With Another Legal Beast
Breach Of Contract
There were a lot of theories that people came up with. One theory was that Allen and her partner breached the contract. Some people thought that they had sexual intercourse before they could do it safely.
Breach Of Contract
Malachi Is Finally Where He Should Be
We are glad that Allen and the whole family got reunited with their son. By the time the story broke out, Malachi was already with his rightful family. “He’s a little man. He’s like 10 months going on 10. He’s walking around already. He’s trying to talk. He has an attitude and he’s funny and his personality is just goofy and bossy all at once. He walks around like he runs the world,” Jessica told People.
Malachi Is Finally Where He Should Be
Surrogacy Is No Joke
While that surrogacy went wrong, there are times when it can be a beautiful thing. Let us take a look at Kevin and Nicole Barattini. For them, surrogacy had been a miracle! Let us find out why that is the case…
Surrogacy Is No Joke
She Was Carrying The Baby For Her Friend When Everything Changed
Nicole and Kevin wanted a family of their own soon after they got married. They wanted kids and felt excited by the thought of conceiving! It did not happen right away, but they kept getting disappointed. They started to look at the alternatives they had. Things changed when a friend offered something that seemed too good. By then, the couple had been married for a couple of years already.
She Was Carrying The Baby For Her Friend When Everything Changed
Lianna and Shaun Are The Parents Of Five Kids
The two of them were friends with Lianna and Shaun Fives of East Moriches, New York. These two had been thrilled to begin a family soon after they got married. By then, they had five kids already! In fact, she wanted more kids… However, did she know that she was not going to carry her baby this time?
Lianna and Shaun Are The Parents Of Five Kids
Helping A Friend In Need
The Barattinis still had no luck when it comes to conceiving a child. They decided that it was time for them to think of surrogacy instead. While they had no idea what the process was going to be like, they knew that it was very important to get a surrogate that they trust. Everyone was surprised when Lianna offered to be their surrogate! Even though they were shocked, they knew that this was a great idea.
Helping A Friend In Need
Love And Support From Everyone
Surrogacy is a special experience. Dr. Richard Klein was the obstetrician who helped them with the procedure. He said that it was “so much fun” since the two couples attended the appointments. It was easy to see how much everyone wanted a baby! The implantation happened in July of 2016… Was Lianna pregnant with the child of Nicole and Kevin?
Love And Support From Everyone
Fingers Crossed For Good News
As the appointment started to get closer, they all felt antsy. Of course, Kevin and Nicole felt even more nervous. They wanted this for such a long time already! Lianna was careful to follow the doctor’s directions and hoped the embryo would take right away. There was nothing to do but wait and pray!
Fingers Crossed For Good News
Beginning A Family Of Their Own
Since they got married in 2010, Nicole and Kevin had been trying for a child. They wanted to start a new chapter of their lives in their home in Smithton, New York. Sadly, Nicole had never been able to conceive. She decided to consult with a doctor about what was happening. They received bad news…
Beginning A Family Of Their Own
Health Problems As A Teen
At the age of 16, Nicole began to notice tiny bumps on her skin. It started happening in small spots but then spread to the rest of her body. She went to the doctor when she began to experience fatigue, fever, and jaundiced eyes. The doctor took a blood sample and learned that her platelets were dangerously low! On average, one should have 140,000 to 150,000 blood platelets. She had only 8,000.
Health Problems As A Teen
A Dangerous Autoimmune Disease
After the checkup, she was diagnosed with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, or TTP for short. It was a possibly fatal autoimmune disease. They were shocked to hear about the condition of this young girl. The condition could lead to the formation of blood clots all over her body. She needed to stay in the hospital for recovery afterward. Luckily, they figured it out just in time!
A Dangerous Autoimmune Disease
An Uncommon Blood Disorder
Do you know how dangerous it could have been for her? The condition has a mortality rate of 95% for untreated sufferers. The blood disorder increases the blood glycoprotein in hemostasis and leads to other parts experiencing blood clots. Her symptoms of bruises, fatigue, and fever were right on the mark. TTP affects only one of 100,000 people, most of them women. Apart from that, 10% of sufferers experience it before they reach adulthood.
An Uncommon Blood Disorder
Lasting Effects
Luckily, the doctors prescribed her proper medication that will help keep the condition in check. She managed to live a regular life thanks to this! Nicole does not really think about the condition a lot. This visit to the doctor, however, revealed that her TTP meds would be bad for the baby.
Lasting Effects
The Bearer of Bad News
Upon learning that it was going to be dangerous to have a baby, she went home devastated. When Kevin returned home, he could tell that something was wrong. He recalled, “I got home from work and Nicole had that look on her face like something was wrong and I’m never going to forget it. I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ and she said, ‘The doctor doesn’t think we can have children.’ And you know, nobody wants to hear that.”
The Bearer of Bad News
A Risky Pregnancy
It was tough for her to learn that she could conceive, although it was going to be risky for her and the baby. “I was able to conceive, but I wouldn’t be able to have a healthy pregnancy. And it would result in death of myself or the baby,” said Nicole. It was far too dangerous for her. What options did they have?
A Risky Pregnancy
Nicole Was Willing To Risk It
Nicole was heartbroken when she learned that she could not carry a child. It took a little while before it finally sank in. She was frustrated that she could actually do it but would harm herself in the process. She even told Kevin she was willing to go off her meds, but he told her that was not a good idea.
Nicole Was Willing To Risk It
Looking For A Safer Alternative
Not once did they give up even if they felt emotional about the whole thing. They stopped any attempts at conception and faced the music. They both had to calm down and be rational about this. She froze her eggs when they decided to have a surrogacy instead! It was a way to start a family of their own.
Looking For A Safer Alternative
The Cost Of Adoption
They also looked into adoption, but the costs made them abandon that plan. The two just wanted to start a family of their own, so it did not matter if they were not the birth parents of the child. However, they learned just how expensive it would be to go through the adoption process! It was too much.
The Cost Of Adoption
The Legal Fees Cost An Arm And Leg
Kids all need and deserve to grow up with loving parents. Sadly, the system requires the would-be parents to shell out a lot of money. Adoption can be super pricey because of the legal fees involved. Adoptive Families said that international adoptions cost $42k on average in 2015 and 2016. For domestic adoptions, the average cost was $37k! The couple could not afford this.
The Legal Fees Cost An Arm And Leg
Looking Into Surrogacy
Adoption was now out of the question, which is why they looked into surrogacy. They began to read up on this process now. They were disappointed to hear it costs $75k! It made adoption look cheap. They stayed hopeful and wondered if anyone would do it for them for free. She said, “We had heard stories that sisters carried and mothers carried, but I don’t have a sister, and my mother is over the age.”
Looking Into Surrogacy
Surprising New York Surrogacy Laws
They read up on state laws and learned that it was illegal to pay a surrogate in New York! If they wanted to go through with this plan, it was important to hire someone from out of state. However, it was going to be a huge issue since it would be pricey to go to the hospital every so often.
Surprising New York Surrogacy Laws
Still The Best Option
The couple knew that it was the best shot they had. For surrogacy, an embryo will be created through IVF. It will then be implanted into the womb of the surrogate! The embryo is the result of the mother’s egg and father’s sperm, so it did not matter who was going to carry out the pregnancy.
Still The Best Option
Support From Her Friends And Family
The two of them shared their quest to find a surrogate with their friends and family. They received a lot of support! Some of their loved ones offered to do this for them. They were glad to see this, although they were disappointed to find that the initial testing said they were not fit to carry out the plan.
Support From Her Friends And Family
Lianna Had Just Given Birth
Nicole and Kevin were friends with Lianna and Shaun for over two decades by then! The latter couple has five children already. Lianna liked being a mother. She could not imagine her life without the kids. She was empathetic when she heard about the situation her friend was in. She just gave birth, however. Can she carry another child again this soon?
Lianna Had Just Given Birth
Need To Be In Perfect Health
If a woman wants to be a surrogate, it is imperative for her to be in perfect health. Surrogacy can be an expensive process, and a woman is less likely to get pregnant as she grows older and older. There are a number of other factors that come into play too. Nicole and Kevin learned that not everyone is fit to be a surrogate. However, a woman will likely get pregnant in three tries if the doctor gives the green light.
Need To Be In Perfect Health
Discussing Plans Over Dinner
In December 2015, the two couples got together for dinner. Without a doubt, Kevin and Nicole had been under a lot of stress. Lianna and Shawn wanted to help them out. They did not want to stick their nose into it, but the topic was difficult to avoid. They soon started talking about kids.
Discussing Plans Over Dinner
The More The Merrier
Nicole just finished talking about her childbearing issues when Lianna told them something unexpected. Kevin narrated it this way: “Lianna goes, ‘You know I have five children, Shawn and I want to have maybe one or two more. And [Nicole and I] looked at each other with a puzzled look, like, ‘You have five kids, why would you want any more?’” What their friend said in response made them feel emotional.
The More The Merrier
The Best Offer They Have Ever Received
It probably felt offensive when they heard Lianna said she wanted even more! They had no idea what to tell her. Luckily, Lianna kept going. Kevin said, “And she goes, ‘No, not for me, for you guys- I’d like to carry a child.'” Nicole and Kevin could not believe what she just said. He added, “The two of us, just forget about it. We just, we all started crying.” At last, they finally had a solution to their problem.
The Best Offer They Have Ever Received
Helping A Friend Out
Lianna knew this was the right thing to do. She said, “I was blessed to have five kids, and they are all amazing, and I couldn’t picture my life without them. And to see this family so deserving, it broke my heart.” She wanted her friend to be able to experience the joys of motherhood as well!
Helping A Friend Out
A Huge Decision For Lianna and Shawn
Lianna and Shawn knew that their family was finally complete with the birth of their fifth child in 2015. She was delighted by the love she had for the kids, but she had more to give. It was why she became the surrogate for Kevin and Nicole! She made up her mind and discussed it with her husband. Of course, he would need to pull his weight as a father if they decide to actually do this. Shawn did not mind!
A Huge Decision For Lianna and Shawn
All Going According To Plan
Kevin and Nicole emotionally accepted the kind offer their friend made. How selfless was it of Lianna to do this? At last, they were now about to start their lives as parents. Lianna did not have any issues with the medical exams. At last, it was official. Everyone was alright with the plan, and the timing could not have been better for everyone involved. Nicole and Kevin were thrilled and grateful!
All Going According To Plan
Not Just Yet
After passing the medical tests, Lianna went to the doctor to have the embryo implanted into her womb. They would only know if it was a success one week later. This is a short amount of time, but it seemed longer to the four of them. It was finally happening, but Nicole and Kevin did not want to count their chickens before they hatched. The only thing to do now was to wait. Sadly, it did not take this time.
Not Just Yet
Another Shot
While it was not successful that first time, they did not give up and lose hope. It was helpful that the doctor was optimistic. They found out that they would have more luck if they planted more embryos. They had to play the waiting game once more! Everyone was nervous to see if it was going to work this time around.
Another Shot
The Best News
One week later, the couples returned to the doctor’s office and learned that Lianna was pregnant. Everyone was thrilled to hear the good news! Aside from that, they found out that they were getting twins! They were all excited to hear this development. Kevin and Nicole wanted a kid for such a long time already. At last, it was finally going to become a reality.
The Best News
Letting Everyone Know
The couple decided to share the news with everyone on Labor Day weekend. They asked 60 friends over under the pretense that it was a celebration of the holiday. However, they found out about the pregnancy that same day! They asked their guests for a moment of silence since they had something to say. Nobody expected to hear what came out of their mouths!
Letting Everyone Know
Welcoming A Pair Of Twins
The family welcomed the pair of twins on the 10th of February in 2017. The Barattinis were now the parents of a boy and a girl called Dominic and Luciana! The pregnancy happened normally, and the kids were both healthy. Nicole and Kevin were happy to finally hold their kids in their arms. This would not have happened if it weren’t for Lianna. Kevin said, “It’s probably the most amazing thing because you think it’s the end of the road, now here we are with two beautiful children.”
Welcoming A Pair Of Twins
A Bond To Last A Lifetime
It was a no-brainer that they would pick Lianna and Shawn to be the godparents of their twins. She was there from the moment they were conceived, after all. Nicole said, “I don’t have a sister, but I’d consider her like that. We don’t hold back, we are open, honest, and I am constantly turning to her for guidance.” Everyone was happy in the end! Nicole never stopped with her TTP medication but now had two kids!
A Bond To Last A Lifetime
An Advocate For Surrogacy
It was not the end of this story, however. After Kevin and Nicole welcomed the twins, they wanted everyone to hear about their journey. They continue to advocate for the statewide legalization of surrogacy in New York. Of course, they want it to be available everywhere else too. Kevin said, “We are happy that our story went public to help others in the time of need.” How admirable is that?
An Advocate For Surrogacy
Would Not Change A Thing
Nicole and Kevin would never take for granted their friends offered them. If it were not for Lianna and Shawn, their family would not be here. Nicole wants women to learn that this is an option they can take. “There are people out there, like Lianna, that will do it out of kindness. It’s easier to find them than it seems. It’s never the end of the road,” she once said. They continue to fight for surrogacy legalization to this day!
Would Not Change A Thing