Help Alexa and Chad's Dream of Parenthood

Hello! I am Alexa and my husband is Chad. We've been together for over 10 years and married for 7. Since a young age, I have suffered with chronic illness due to ulcerative colitis. After multiple surgeries, I am healthier than ever but not able to carry a child myself. For the past 6 years, we have been trying to build the family we have always dreamed of via surrogacy.

We have attempted surrogacy twice. The first pregnancy resulted in an early miscarriage. Most recently, we were expecting a baby boy, due the week of Christmas 2024. This pregnancy was healthy and everything was on track for our son. Then, at the 20-week ultrasound anatomy scan, we received the most shocking, terrible news. Our miracle baby had a severe birth defect - Spina Bifida.

In hopes of giving him the best possible chance, we traveled to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, one of the leading Spina Bifida clinics in the country. After meeting with doctors, geneticists, and neurosurgeons, we learned that he had a severe form of Spina Bifida and he would likely not survive. But if he did survive, it would be a lifetime of extensive medical and surgical intervention. He would have little to no quality of life. Deeply saddened but with his best interest at heart, and with the guidance of the medical professionals, we made the heartbreaking decision to not put him through a lifetime of pain and suffering. We had to let our son go.

We have since learned that there was nothing that could have been done to prevent this tragic birth defect from occurring. Prior to beginning our surrogacy journey, we did genetic testing and took precautions to ensure that something like this did not occur. After more advanced genetic testing was done, we learned that the likelihood of this reoccurring is less than 1%. This was simply a complete fluke.

Our grief has been unimaginable. But as we grieve together, and with our families, we still hold onto the hope that one day we will be blessed with a child.

Our surrogacy journey has been with great expense. Along with the cost of IVF, when you need to use a surrogate carrier, you have the added expenses of attorneys for both yourself and the surrogate, health and life insurance, and compensation for the surrogate. Each attempt is a new beginning of cost.

We are doing all we can to make it possible. I am applying for grants and Chad is working as much overtime as he can, but we know it is now time to ask for help to begin our 3rd attempt at surrogacy.

Even if you cannot contribute, would you please consider sharing this link. Thank you for taking the time to read our story.