Saving for Surrogate Fees
Donation protected
First off, thank you so much for taking the time to read our story. We struggled with whether or not to go so "public" and we are swallowing an enormous amount of pride by asking for help. There is a quote (author unknown) that just keeps playing over and over in our heads; "Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about". And so here we are.
In January of 2011 I received a call from my OB/GYN office regarding an abnormal yearly exam. At the very same time, my Mother was beginning chemotherapy treatment for Stage IV Lung Cancer and wound up having a major stroke which left her paralyzed and speechless. Needless to say, that phone call took a backseat while I tended to my Mom's needs. Four short weeks later, my Mom passed away and the worst year of my life continued to let me down.
Fast forward to April of 2011. I was sent to MGH in Boston to meet with a Gynecological Oncologist. After many tests, exams, MRI's, and even exploratory surgery, my Doctor strongly advised that if John and I wanted children we had better go straight to the IVF Clinic upstairs.
The tumors and cysts that I had would not allow me to get pregnant on my own, however, they would need to stay put until I was able to conceive and deliver at least one healthy baby. This was decided because there was some risk that the tumors were cancerous and that I would need chemotherapy and/or radiation after they were removed.
(But that wasn't going to happen to ME!)
Fast forward again (through a lot of tears and anger) to March of 2012. Finally! Pregnant at last! (With 3 embryos frozen to use in the future!) 2012 was really making up for all the sorrow we endured in 2011!
On December 6, 2012, John and I welcomed our little angel baby, Maia. Nothing could steal our joy and we truly believed in miracles.
Just 7 weeks and 6 days later, as I was wheeled into the operating room, I begged my surgeon to do everything he could to at least save my uterus. He agreed to do his best, however, once he got a good look at things, he was confident that all of my reproductive parts needed to be removed. He even took my appendix while he was in there! I spent the next 5 days in the hospital recovering from a complete hysterectomy, still pumping breastmilk for my daughter, whom John brought to me each and every day.
About a week after my surgery, I got a call that absolutely left me dumbfounded. "Jaime, your biopsies came back. You are going to need to do chemo and you will lose your hair." Nearly 22,000 women are diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer each year and I was now one of them.
I am happy to report that I made it through 9 weeks of chemotherapy after giving birth and having major surgery. I am so lucky to have the love and support of family and dear friends.
John and I cannot go a day without thinking about those 3 frozen embryos that belong to us. We had hoped a family member or close friend would have been able to carry for us, but no one who has shown interest has met the criteria set forth by the medical experts. For this reason, we will need to hire a surrogate (although we still hope to find a compassionate carrier, meaning all medical and legal expenses are paid for by us but there is no lump sum going to the surrogate) and need your help to do so.
Surrogacy is very expensive, yet priceless to us. We are hoping to raise money to help defray out of pocket costs (roughly estimated at a minimum of $60,000!) and grow our family.
Thanks so much for reading our story, donating if you can, sharing our page, and/or attending our fundraiser on November 6, 2015 (many more details to follow!)
Love and Gratitude,
Jaime and John Paragios
In January of 2011 I received a call from my OB/GYN office regarding an abnormal yearly exam. At the very same time, my Mother was beginning chemotherapy treatment for Stage IV Lung Cancer and wound up having a major stroke which left her paralyzed and speechless. Needless to say, that phone call took a backseat while I tended to my Mom's needs. Four short weeks later, my Mom passed away and the worst year of my life continued to let me down.
Fast forward to April of 2011. I was sent to MGH in Boston to meet with a Gynecological Oncologist. After many tests, exams, MRI's, and even exploratory surgery, my Doctor strongly advised that if John and I wanted children we had better go straight to the IVF Clinic upstairs.
The tumors and cysts that I had would not allow me to get pregnant on my own, however, they would need to stay put until I was able to conceive and deliver at least one healthy baby. This was decided because there was some risk that the tumors were cancerous and that I would need chemotherapy and/or radiation after they were removed.
(But that wasn't going to happen to ME!)
Fast forward again (through a lot of tears and anger) to March of 2012. Finally! Pregnant at last! (With 3 embryos frozen to use in the future!) 2012 was really making up for all the sorrow we endured in 2011!
On December 6, 2012, John and I welcomed our little angel baby, Maia. Nothing could steal our joy and we truly believed in miracles.
Just 7 weeks and 6 days later, as I was wheeled into the operating room, I begged my surgeon to do everything he could to at least save my uterus. He agreed to do his best, however, once he got a good look at things, he was confident that all of my reproductive parts needed to be removed. He even took my appendix while he was in there! I spent the next 5 days in the hospital recovering from a complete hysterectomy, still pumping breastmilk for my daughter, whom John brought to me each and every day.
About a week after my surgery, I got a call that absolutely left me dumbfounded. "Jaime, your biopsies came back. You are going to need to do chemo and you will lose your hair." Nearly 22,000 women are diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer each year and I was now one of them.
I am happy to report that I made it through 9 weeks of chemotherapy after giving birth and having major surgery. I am so lucky to have the love and support of family and dear friends.
John and I cannot go a day without thinking about those 3 frozen embryos that belong to us. We had hoped a family member or close friend would have been able to carry for us, but no one who has shown interest has met the criteria set forth by the medical experts. For this reason, we will need to hire a surrogate (although we still hope to find a compassionate carrier, meaning all medical and legal expenses are paid for by us but there is no lump sum going to the surrogate) and need your help to do so.
Surrogacy is very expensive, yet priceless to us. We are hoping to raise money to help defray out of pocket costs (roughly estimated at a minimum of $60,000!) and grow our family.
Thanks so much for reading our story, donating if you can, sharing our page, and/or attending our fundraiser on November 6, 2015 (many more details to follow!)
Love and Gratitude,
Jaime and John Paragios
Organizer
Jaime Paragios
Organizer
Lynn, MA
