Gill Family Surrogacy
Donation protected
Matt & Amanda - Surrogacy Journey
Our struggle to bring home a healthy baby has been unfolding for over 3 years now, which is hard to believe. Many of you reading this have walked with us through the excitement of pregnancy and the heartbreak that followed with each loss. We wouldn't have gotten to where we are today without all of your love, support, and prayers that carried us through the hard times and allowed us to still have hope. Our hope has led us to consider an alternate path to bringing home a healthy baby, gestational surrogacy.
For those of you who haven't been a part of our story, we will do our best to try and tell some of it below. In addition to hopefully having a family of our own soon, we want to open up to others about the journey and beauty of surrogacy so I have started a blog which you can follow here: https://amandajmangus.wixsite.com/involuntarilychldlss.
First Comes Love:
So for those of you who don't know Matt and I are Middle School Sweethearts (8th Grade!) from Texarkana, TX. We grew up going to the same school and church and after a good year of crushing on my part, we started dating in April of 2002. Since then we have been inseparable!
After graduating from high school, we moved away to Conway, AR where we went to college at the University of Central Arkansas. We both majored in Biology and were even awarded "Two People Most Attached at the Hip" by our dorm-mates freshman year.
Then Comes Marriage:
In April 2012, after only 10 years of dating (with absolutely NO break-ups), Matt proposed while we were in Breckenridge, CO. It was absolutely beautiful, he said all the right things as he got down on one knee, and I, of course, said YES!
A whirlwind of wedding planning and not one but three engagement photo sessions followed for the next year. We got married on April 7, 2013, surrounded by family and friends. The wedding was beautiful and I just knew we would live "Happily Ever After".
Then Comes Baby?
A few years into our blissful marriage, Matt and I discovered we were pregnant. At first, I was terrified, we weren't technically trying to have a baby, and I don't think either of us was quite prepared. That being said a few weeks after that first positive pregnancy test we were getting pretty darn excited. In February of 2016, after we had reached the safety of the second trimester we started letting people know we were expecting. Some were shocked (I'm sure my mom thought the day was never coming) but everyone was happy for us. Unfortunately, a few weeks later we learned the baby had a severe neural tube defect called Anencephaly, and we lost the baby shortly after.
We were obviously upset but ready to try again as soon as possible. I got pregnant in November of 2016 and we were so optimistic that everything would be okay this time. Pre-pregnancy I started taking extra folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, exercising, and eating a really balanced diet so when we got the results saying the baby showed no signs of birth defects we were ecstatic but still nervous to share our big news. Some of our family didn't even know we were expecting when we called to tell them I had gone into preterm labor at 24 weeks and had delivered a little boy via emergency C-section. Warren Estes came into the world weighing 1lb 11oz on April 12, 2017, at 3:12 pm. Babies born that early on have a 16% chance survival rate in the NICU but Warren was so strong. He had no signs of bleeds in the brain, was feeding well, and breathing as well as expected with the help of a ventilator. Unfortunately, he contracted a hospital born infection from mold during his stay that was misdiagnosed until it was too late. We had to say goodbye at just 17 days old and it left us devastated.
After losing Warren, we took some time to grieve, to allow my body to heal, and just recover what it meant to enjoy life. We tried again for a baby in October of 2017 and were instantly pregnant. I met with a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor and we developed a game plan to bring home a healthy baby this time. I kept taking folic acid, I went on modified bed rest, took progesterone shots weekly, and had frequent prenatal visits. The weeks went by, our visits were always positive, no defects, no issues until I woke up early on June 9, 2018, in pain. As we proceeded to the hospital as quickly as we could the pain grew and we arrived panicked at the hospital. The triage brushed us off as normal panicked parents in labor until they couldn't find Adaline's heartbeat. They then rushed me back in for an emergency C-section and found my uterus had ruptured. Adaline had to be resuscitated at birth and I was lucky to be alive. Adaline was born June 9 at 7:23 am weighing 6lb 7oz and basically lived in our arms the next few weeks. It breaks my heart to say that although the doctors were able to bring her back it wasn't enough. She suffered severe damage to the brain and passed away 20 days later in the NICU.
Once Again Involuntarily Childless:
Matt and I are still grieving her loss and in some ways, we will always be grieving for the babies we never got to bring home. But we also still want a baby desperately and have realized we might need a little help in making our dream a reality. We are pursuing gestational surrogacy as an alternative to putting my life or the life of another child I would carry at risk, but this is a long, expensive journey. This is where we need your help to build our family...
How Can YOU Help?
The following is a breakdown of the costs involved with surrogacy:
Paid to Date (10/28/2019):
One Round of IVF (After Insurance) - $5,480.00
IVF Meds (After Insurance) - $1,640.97
Retrieval Meals & Travel - $367.39
Pre-transfer Screening by Clinic - $1,431.00
Surrogacy Contract - $3,000.00
Gc's Attorney Contract Review - $572.00
Surrogate Gift Basket - $111.42
Round 1 Transfer by Clinic - $4,836.00
Round 1 Meds for Transfer - $474.73
Round 1 Transfer Meals & Travel - $1,246.48
Round 2 Transfer by Clinic - $3,684.00
Round 2 Meds for Transfer - $842.94
Round 2 Transfer Meals & Travel - $787.33
Round 2 Transfer Babysitter - $100.00
Baby Sitting 5/22 - $50.00
Baby Sitting 5/29 - $80.00
Baby Sitting 6/4 - $80.00
Baby Sitting 6/12 - $50.00
Baby Sitting 8/9 - $40.00
Baby Sitting 8/13 - $40.00
Baby Sitting 8/30-9/2 - $80.00
Baby Sitting 9/5 - $40.00
Baby Sitting 10/3 - $18.00
Baby Sitting 10/8 - $42.00
Pregnancy Gifts & Supplies - $861.60
Dining & Gifts - $633.88
OBGYN Payments - $24.00
Pre-Birth Order Attorney Fee - $2,500
Pre-Birth Order Court Fee - $165.70
Surrogate Monthly Stipend (6x @ $200) - $1200.00
Life Insurance (6x @ $20.97) - $125.82
Still to Come at Minimum:
Surrogate Monthly Stipend (3x @ $200) - $600.00
Life Insurance (6x @ $20.97) - $125.82
Surrogate Delivery Bill - ?
Please be assured that any and all donations we receive will go directly toward surrogacy costs. As you can see, a gestational surrogacy journey can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars. If we earn more than our goal, funds will go toward the additional surrogacy costs we have listed here. Any money raised over our need will be donated to help another couple struggling for a child meet the financial burden. All costs incurred will be posted during updates for clarity of funds used.
Other Ways YOU Can Help:
If you're taking the time to read this at all, it tells us that you deeply care about us. We are so thankful to have so many wonderful people who have been amazingly supportive these past few painful years.
We understand that giving financially is not an option for everyone. We also greatly need a lot of prayers and continued encouragement.
Please feel free to share our story with anyone unfortunate enough to be struggling as we have or anyone else who may want to support us. Research suggests that many couples pursue surrogacy due to infertility, pregnancy complications, and health problems but never open up about it as it feels like such a taboo topic. We want to continue to spread awareness and be an encouragement to others.
Thank you to everyone who reads this. You'll never know what kind of impact you all have truly had in our lives!
Forever grateful!
Matt & Amanda
Our struggle to bring home a healthy baby has been unfolding for over 3 years now, which is hard to believe. Many of you reading this have walked with us through the excitement of pregnancy and the heartbreak that followed with each loss. We wouldn't have gotten to where we are today without all of your love, support, and prayers that carried us through the hard times and allowed us to still have hope. Our hope has led us to consider an alternate path to bringing home a healthy baby, gestational surrogacy.
For those of you who haven't been a part of our story, we will do our best to try and tell some of it below. In addition to hopefully having a family of our own soon, we want to open up to others about the journey and beauty of surrogacy so I have started a blog which you can follow here: https://amandajmangus.wixsite.com/involuntarilychldlss.
First Comes Love:
So for those of you who don't know Matt and I are Middle School Sweethearts (8th Grade!) from Texarkana, TX. We grew up going to the same school and church and after a good year of crushing on my part, we started dating in April of 2002. Since then we have been inseparable!
After graduating from high school, we moved away to Conway, AR where we went to college at the University of Central Arkansas. We both majored in Biology and were even awarded "Two People Most Attached at the Hip" by our dorm-mates freshman year.
Then Comes Marriage:
In April 2012, after only 10 years of dating (with absolutely NO break-ups), Matt proposed while we were in Breckenridge, CO. It was absolutely beautiful, he said all the right things as he got down on one knee, and I, of course, said YES!
A whirlwind of wedding planning and not one but three engagement photo sessions followed for the next year. We got married on April 7, 2013, surrounded by family and friends. The wedding was beautiful and I just knew we would live "Happily Ever After".
Then Comes Baby?
A few years into our blissful marriage, Matt and I discovered we were pregnant. At first, I was terrified, we weren't technically trying to have a baby, and I don't think either of us was quite prepared. That being said a few weeks after that first positive pregnancy test we were getting pretty darn excited. In February of 2016, after we had reached the safety of the second trimester we started letting people know we were expecting. Some were shocked (I'm sure my mom thought the day was never coming) but everyone was happy for us. Unfortunately, a few weeks later we learned the baby had a severe neural tube defect called Anencephaly, and we lost the baby shortly after.
We were obviously upset but ready to try again as soon as possible. I got pregnant in November of 2016 and we were so optimistic that everything would be okay this time. Pre-pregnancy I started taking extra folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, exercising, and eating a really balanced diet so when we got the results saying the baby showed no signs of birth defects we were ecstatic but still nervous to share our big news. Some of our family didn't even know we were expecting when we called to tell them I had gone into preterm labor at 24 weeks and had delivered a little boy via emergency C-section. Warren Estes came into the world weighing 1lb 11oz on April 12, 2017, at 3:12 pm. Babies born that early on have a 16% chance survival rate in the NICU but Warren was so strong. He had no signs of bleeds in the brain, was feeding well, and breathing as well as expected with the help of a ventilator. Unfortunately, he contracted a hospital born infection from mold during his stay that was misdiagnosed until it was too late. We had to say goodbye at just 17 days old and it left us devastated.
After losing Warren, we took some time to grieve, to allow my body to heal, and just recover what it meant to enjoy life. We tried again for a baby in October of 2017 and were instantly pregnant. I met with a Maternal Fetal Medicine doctor and we developed a game plan to bring home a healthy baby this time. I kept taking folic acid, I went on modified bed rest, took progesterone shots weekly, and had frequent prenatal visits. The weeks went by, our visits were always positive, no defects, no issues until I woke up early on June 9, 2018, in pain. As we proceeded to the hospital as quickly as we could the pain grew and we arrived panicked at the hospital. The triage brushed us off as normal panicked parents in labor until they couldn't find Adaline's heartbeat. They then rushed me back in for an emergency C-section and found my uterus had ruptured. Adaline had to be resuscitated at birth and I was lucky to be alive. Adaline was born June 9 at 7:23 am weighing 6lb 7oz and basically lived in our arms the next few weeks. It breaks my heart to say that although the doctors were able to bring her back it wasn't enough. She suffered severe damage to the brain and passed away 20 days later in the NICU.
Once Again Involuntarily Childless:
Matt and I are still grieving her loss and in some ways, we will always be grieving for the babies we never got to bring home. But we also still want a baby desperately and have realized we might need a little help in making our dream a reality. We are pursuing gestational surrogacy as an alternative to putting my life or the life of another child I would carry at risk, but this is a long, expensive journey. This is where we need your help to build our family...
How Can YOU Help?
The following is a breakdown of the costs involved with surrogacy:
Paid to Date (10/28/2019):
One Round of IVF (After Insurance) - $5,480.00
IVF Meds (After Insurance) - $1,640.97
Retrieval Meals & Travel - $367.39
Pre-transfer Screening by Clinic - $1,431.00
Surrogacy Contract - $3,000.00
Gc's Attorney Contract Review - $572.00
Surrogate Gift Basket - $111.42
Round 1 Transfer by Clinic - $4,836.00
Round 1 Meds for Transfer - $474.73
Round 1 Transfer Meals & Travel - $1,246.48
Round 2 Transfer by Clinic - $3,684.00
Round 2 Meds for Transfer - $842.94
Round 2 Transfer Meals & Travel - $787.33
Round 2 Transfer Babysitter - $100.00
Baby Sitting 5/22 - $50.00
Baby Sitting 5/29 - $80.00
Baby Sitting 6/4 - $80.00
Baby Sitting 6/12 - $50.00
Baby Sitting 8/9 - $40.00
Baby Sitting 8/13 - $40.00
Baby Sitting 8/30-9/2 - $80.00
Baby Sitting 9/5 - $40.00
Baby Sitting 10/3 - $18.00
Baby Sitting 10/8 - $42.00
Pregnancy Gifts & Supplies - $861.60
Dining & Gifts - $633.88
OBGYN Payments - $24.00
Pre-Birth Order Attorney Fee - $2,500
Pre-Birth Order Court Fee - $165.70
Surrogate Monthly Stipend (6x @ $200) - $1200.00
Life Insurance (6x @ $20.97) - $125.82
Still to Come at Minimum:
Surrogate Monthly Stipend (3x @ $200) - $600.00
Life Insurance (6x @ $20.97) - $125.82
Surrogate Delivery Bill - ?
Please be assured that any and all donations we receive will go directly toward surrogacy costs. As you can see, a gestational surrogacy journey can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars. If we earn more than our goal, funds will go toward the additional surrogacy costs we have listed here. Any money raised over our need will be donated to help another couple struggling for a child meet the financial burden. All costs incurred will be posted during updates for clarity of funds used.
Other Ways YOU Can Help:
If you're taking the time to read this at all, it tells us that you deeply care about us. We are so thankful to have so many wonderful people who have been amazingly supportive these past few painful years.
We understand that giving financially is not an option for everyone. We also greatly need a lot of prayers and continued encouragement.
Please feel free to share our story with anyone unfortunate enough to be struggling as we have or anyone else who may want to support us. Research suggests that many couples pursue surrogacy due to infertility, pregnancy complications, and health problems but never open up about it as it feels like such a taboo topic. We want to continue to spread awareness and be an encouragement to others.
Thank you to everyone who reads this. You'll never know what kind of impact you all have truly had in our lives!
Forever grateful!
Matt & Amanda
Fundraising team (3)
Amanda Gill
Organizer
Maumelle, AR
Nicole Friendly
Team member
Terry Huston
Team member