They say it takes a village to raise a child, so why shouldn't it take a village to make one? Ashley and Adam need our help completing their family by helping fund their surrogacy. They currently have one beautiful daughter, but because Ashley can no longer bear a child, they need to utilize surrogacy to complete their dream family of four.

In 2020, they were pregnant and beyond excited that their dream of starting a family was becoming a reality. It was incredibly risky since Ashley is a type 1 diabetic with many autoimmune diseases. Because of this, at 29 weeks pregnant, Ashley's body rejected the pregnancy, and her organs started shutting down. It was a matter of life or death for both the baby and Ashley.

Ashley needed to deliver their daughter. Having an emergency c-section at officially 30 weeks pregnant is no one's plan, but it was imperative and happening. At that point, the doctor told Adam and Ashley that if they didn't deliver within the hour, Adam would have to make the horrible decision between the baby and Ashley. Ashley's doctor has been practicing for over 40 years and told the two of them that Ashley was the worst case of preeclampsia and eclampsia he had dealt with in all his years. Ashley was lucky to be alive.

The day their daughter was born, doctors told Ashley and Adam that Ashley would never be able to get pregnant again. It would cause irreparable damage to her life or body if she did. As you can imagine, laying in the hospital bed, day one post-partum, this news devastated them. The reality hit them that their happy family of four would not happen as they had always dreamed.

When their daughter was born, she was rushed to the NICU and had an extended stay there. Ashley and Adam weren't allowed to hold her until she was three days old. She was so small and covered in wires and tubes to help her finish growing; they were petrified they would break her. Although the baby beat all odds and is her parents' world, Ashley and Adam can't help but feel that their family needs a sibling for their daughter and another child to love. Adam and Ashley both have younger siblings and have the most incredible bond with them. They hope their daughter can have that one day as well.

Ashley and Adam have been together for almost seven years and married for nearly five years. They are perfect for each other. They are supportive, communicative, and loving. They truly are meant to be; they were at all the same places growing up and only lived 15 minutes from each other. They even have a group of friends in common but did not cross paths until 2016. They have been inseparable from when they met and knew it was right. From day one, they dreamt of raising two children together.

Ashley and Adam are now at a point where they would love - beyond words - to expand their family. Because they cannot bear a child naturally, they need to look for creative ways for their family to grow. That's where we come in as their community and support system. My name is Jennie, and I met Ashley on our first day of college. Although Ashley transferred during our first semester, and we live in different parts of the country, Ashley and I have nurtured a beautiful friendship where we are each other's safe spaces because of our history, the way we look at the world, and the way we prioritize those we love. We've talked almost every day for over 20 years, with only being in person for a couple of months of our lives being proof of the dedication and prioritization that Ashley (and Adam) gives to their loved ones.

I am proud to host this GoFundMe for Ashley and Adam so their community can do all it can to help them with surrogacy. The fees alone for the fertility process, the agency, a surrogate, and all other related situations are astronomically priced and impossible to achieve without help. Since they already have a ton of bills due to Ashley's medical issues and the last pregnancy, any assistance we can provide will help make their reality come to life.

It is not in Ashley and Adam's nature to go to others for help in this way or make their story so public. However, for the sake of their family and the future child they can love, I feel that as their friend, I want to do anything possible for their family to grow. I never want to look back and think I could have done more. Ashley and Adam would forever be grateful for any help and any sharing of their story that you can do. Please let me know if you also know of any resources or organizations specializing in this process. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your consideration and generosity!