A 61-year-old grandmother has given birth to her own granddaughter in a surrogacy pregnancy using her gay son’s husband’s sister’s egg.
Cecile Eledge decided to carry the baby girl named Uma Louise Dougherty-Eledge after her son, Matthew, pleaded with her saying that he and his husband desperately wanted a child.
Following her son’s plea, the baby girl was conceived through in vitro fertilization using Matthew’s sperm and his partner’s sister’s egg cell.
As NBC News explained, partners Matthew Eledge and Elliot Dougherty were “hesitant to go into agencies” because of the conservative environment surrounding them and decided to use Elliot’s sister’s eggs instead.
“Nebraska is a bit more conservative, and we were hesitant to go into agencies and had a bit of fear that maybe some things would hold us back being a gay couple,” Matthew revealed.
“It was really exciting to know that my mom and dad and whole ancestry and family lineage were going to be a part of her,” Elliot added.
“I was feeding her, and it was early, and she wasn’t eating very fast, and I just looked at her face, and I saw my mom’s face there. In a way, it just felt like I was taking care of my sweet mom.”
Speaking of her decision to carry her son’s baby, 61-year-old Cecile said:
“I just never hesitated. I was just so excited to be able to be part of this adventure with them. … It was just unconditional love.”
As it happens, however, surrogacy isn’t legal in all states of the nation.
“Surrogacy laws vary on a state-by-state basis,” The Cut reported.
“For instance, surrogacy agreements cannot be enforced under New York law, so someone in the state who would like to find a surrogate to carry an embryo to term will have to find a carrier in a surrogate-friendly state, like New Jersey or Connecticut.”
“This is a fascinating part of surrogacy that most people don’t realize,” Dr. Brian Levine of an NY-based fertility center added.
“There are a number of attorneys who specialize in surrogacy law, so people wanting to use a surrogate will have to consider that legality and the legal cost as well.”
While Elliot and Matthew admitted fearing criticism and narrow-minded reactions following their daughter’s birth, they expressed that they will “explain the circumstances to Uma when she gets older.”
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