Kristine Casey is not just any grandmother to her grandson, Finnean. She is also his surrogate mother.
My 61-year-old mum gave birth to my son four years ago – now he thinks it’s ‘cool’
Casey, then 61, gave birth to Finnean in February 2011 after her daughter, Sara Connell, can’t get pregnant and giving birth.
Connell’s egg and husband Bill’s sperm were used in the in vitro fertilization procedure, making the couple Finnean’s biological parents, and Casey the gestational carrier of their child.
Casey, who had given birth to Connell and her two sisters 30 years earlier and gone through menopause 10 years ago, offered to act as the surrogate.
After months of tests and soul searching, they decided to go ahead with in vitro and after the second IVF cycle, Casey became pregnant.
When it comes to surrogate parenting, the Connell’s arrangement is not as uncommon as one might think. In August, 49-year-old Linda Sirois of Maine gave birth to her grandson Madden when her daughter Angel Herbert, 25, son-in-law Brian Herbet where unable to conceive.
While age is a limiting factor for the safety of such late-in-life surrogacy, hormonal supplementation and the use of donor eggs make pregnancy possible even in women who have gone through menopause. ( Click here to read more on the medical aspects of late-in-life pregnancies).
Casey, who likened carrying Finnean to babysitting for nine months, said the late-in-life surrogacy was “amazing.”
Nine months later, Casey delivered the greatest gift a mother could give – a healthy, 7-pound boy who has grown from baby to toddler – and created an infinite bond between a mother and daughter.
“My gratitude really can’t even be described in words,” Connell said.
Source:news.yahoo, mirror.co.uk
