Fundraising & Event Pictures

A few of my lovely surro-sisters

Tom & Mario

Sara & Zach

Good friends, Becky (L) GSx1 and Daisy (R) GSx1 & EDx5

Daisy, my best friend and fellow surrogate

We have started the 2014 fundraising campaign and invite you to participate.  This year the first 100 people who make a $20 or more contribution will receive a children's book about surrogacy, Sophia's Broken Crayons, to show our appreciation.

You can start your own team, join a team, or make a donation to a team by following this link:

Surrogacy Together Fundraising Campaign

Thanks for participating and for bringing hope to couples like Sara & Zach, Tom & Mario and other's like them that they may one day have a family.

Thanks for your support,
Tiffany and the Surrogacy Together Foundation

Surrogacy Together - Chicago 2014

Last night a few surro-sisters and I made our way to downtown Chicago for the Midwest Surrogacy Together event. It was great to come together with others in the surrogacy community and to meet two of the wonderful couples the organization is sponsoring this year with their surrogacy journeys.  There were so many stories and experiences shared over cocktails and a photo shoot as well.  I can't wait to see and share pictures taken by the photographer which captured multiple representations of third party reproduction and sentiments about surrogacy.

In attendance at the event were Sara and husband Zach who live in Indiana and also Tom and Mario from Chicago. Both couples are working with Surrogacy Together, and with the love and support of friends and family will hopefully realize their dream of parenthood soon.

For years Sara battled with herself trying to accept a body and diagnosis, Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, that left her unable to carry children. It was a lonely struggle that she felt too embarrassed to talk about. Finally, she realized she had so much to be thankful for. Although she was born without a uterus, she was still blessed with her ovaries and her health. Sara says her husband Zach has been so amazing and supportive through everything and now they are ready to share their love with a baby. A generous friend come forward and offered to be their surrogate and they are beyond excited to start their family. 

Tom and Mario have been together for a little over nine years and will be getting married in June! As a legal married couple they will be given the privileges and responsibilities of equal parental protection. Tom from Michigan, met Mario from California, while both were studying abroad in Madrid, Spain and are one of the happiest and most delightful couples you will ever meet. Just because they are in a same sex relationship should not mean that they must go through life without a family of their own. Thanks to medical advances, the gift of egg donation and Surrogacy Together they will be able to have biological children! These two hope to be given the opportunity like most heterosexual couples to raise children together and can’t wait to be dads! Tom and Mario were recently matched with a surrogate who is completing the screening process and all are anxious to move forward with their journey.

I'm very proud to be a part of the loving surrogate community that shares my passion for helping couples achieve their dream of a family.  I also couldn't be more excited about working as a Surrogate Consultant for Expect Miracles Surrogacy, the agency who's directors Jon and Christy founded the Surrogacy Together campaign.

Wishing all couples the very best and can't wait to follow along with the journeys that are ahead of you.  

Summer Fun With The Surrofam

Last night we had a wonderful visit with A&T and Giovanni, my first surrofam.  Great dinner, drinks and conversation as always.

This little guy is growing up so fast!  He and Izzy (our youngest daughter) had fun running around the yard, swinging on the playset, riding bikes and just being silly.  It was a gorgeous day and the kids had hoped for a chance to bring on the slip & slide, but we got distracted by ICE CREAM!  We could all hear the familiar music of the ice cream truck nearby ... it was so close yet so far away. LOL Thanks to IF who chased it down in the neighboring subdivision the kids all got to enjoy a cool treat after their meal.  Yum!

As the night went on we caught up on life and also reminisced a little about the past and how our friendship has evolved.  We went from those first awkward encounters to what now can only be described as extended family.  It's a relationship I feel so blessed to have and have absolutely enjoyed watching Giovanni grow.

We visited into the early morning hours and said our goodbyes until next time ... hopefully we'll make a visit out their way soon and be able to meet up again before long.

Summer has officially begun!!

Exciting Opportunity!!

I have some personal news that I wanted to share with those that have closely followed my surrogacy journeys.

As many of you know, my passion for surrogacy was instant and I have been so blessed by the experience.  I was recently presented with the opportunity to work directly with Expect Miracles Surrogacy, located in San Diego California, and will be joining them as a Surrogacy Consultant based here in the Midwest!!  I will be helping with the process of educating, screening and qualifying potential surrogates and egg donors.  I am very excited to be a part of this sincere agency that strives to give each surrogacy experience a very personal touch.  

Whether you are a follower here because you have a connection to the surrogacy community, are a personal friend or family member, or were just inspired by my story - I ask that you please keep Expect Miracles Surrogacy and myself in mind if you should know of any potential Intended Parents, Surrogates and/or Egg Donors looking to explore this family building option.

Please don't hesitate emailing me for additional information or visit the newly launched website that is your resource to exploring the amazing experience of being a surrogate.

Email: tiffany@expectmiraclessurrogacy.com

Website: becomeasurrogatetoday.com

Make a Wish!!

 I can't believe that the precious "little" guy I helped bring into the world for A&T is turning 4 today!!!  Our family is looking forward to celebrating his birthday alongside their friends and family this weekend.  

Dear Giovanni,

May your birthday be filled with much love & happiness. You're a joy to all who know you and you bring sunshine and magic with each and every smile.  I'm honored to have been trusted with your care before you were placed in your parent's arms and feel blessed to have the opportunity to continue watching you grow into a sweet little boy.  

Happy Birthday!!! 

XOXO,
Miss Tiffany

Birth Story - April 24, 2010

Our Latest

So I figured it was time for an update.  At this point we are in somewhat of a holding pattern.  Although we were all on board for jumping right back into things and doing another cycle with the new RE, we ran into a little hiccup.  While thinking about our next steps - one afternoon it dawned on me - if we have a successful transfer in June/July we'd have a resulting Feb/March due date that would interfere with my nine year-old daughters gymnastics competition season (early Jan to mid March).  The team travels to six or more meets during the season and due to the travel restrictions outlined in our surrogacy contract (no more than 100+ miles from the hospital or out of state after 30 weeks gestation) I'd be unable to accompany her. This detail would impact us in such a way that she would not be able to participate.  Lauren has worked very hard over the past three years to be on team and now that she is finally there, I just can't deny her the opportunity.

I feel just awful about this as I know my IPs are so very anxious and have a lot invested in this process. I most certainly don't want to be selfish but this is a big deal for our daughter and family.  If there were anyway I could postpone the season - like I could a vacation - I would in a heartbeat, but it's just not an option and obviously out of my control.   I'm so thankful that my IP's have been understanding and are willing to be flexible.  At first we discussed making an exception to my travel for this purpose, but the more I thought about it, I just wasn't comfortable with the potential scenario.  I'd much rather we all be a little disappointed in having to wait then to cause them additional stress and worry as I'm on the road and a good distance from home late in our third trimester.  I can also imagine I wouldn't physically be the most comfortable at that point either and hours in the car, hotel room beds and bleacher seating would be less than welcoming.

IM has discussed with our new RE and the plan is for her to move forward with an egg retrieval and do a "freeze all".  This will give us the chance to see how she responds to the new protocol.  If there are resulting embryos we could potentially transfer, we can freeze and do so come Aug/Sept.  We could also consider doing a fresh cycle together in the fall and use any frozen embryos from the first cycle as back up.  The details will all depend on how well she responds and what there is to work with.

So for now, we are focusing on IM and getting a game plan together for a bit later in the year.  I'm hoping with a busy summer just around the corner time will fly and we will be back on track - with some lovely embryos - very soon.