Becoming a Surrogate in Canada
By Shelly Thomson
“In a world full of hate, be a light”
– Thomas Rhett
Did you know, in Canada, approximately 1 in every 6 couples struggle with fertility? That does not even include same-sex couples or people who want to be single parents. When I heard this statistic for the first time it did not even occur to me that those statistics could apply to someone I love. Unfortunately, more than one person in my life is a part of those statistics. I cannot imagine a world without my babies, I was fortunate enough to have zero struggles conceiving. For that, I am so thankful.
The more I read about fertility struggles, the more I knew I needed to help. But how could I help? That is when I discovered surrogacy and the wonderful agency located right here in Canada, JA Surrogacy, helping people all over the world to have the family of their dreams. I knew I needed to be part of it.
In August 2019, I dropped the bomb on my husband, Justin. I say bomb because it truly was a bomb. I had never mentioned the thought of becoming a surrogate to him previously, so he was very shocked. Fortunately, as shocking as it was, he completely understood why I felt the need to do this and agreed to move forward with the process.
In September 2019, we met our intended parents for the first time. We totally hit it off. I could see from the moment I met them, that they had so much love in their hearts. Hearing about their fertility struggles broke my heart; multiple egg retrievals, failed transfers and procedures. Their doctor felt that the best chance they had of creating life from the 3 embryos they had left was through surrogacy. Now, after all those struggles, here is a mom who has to cope with the fact she will not carry her own child. I cannot imagine the emotions that would go along with these decisions. Hearing their story, I knew I had to help them. This was it – I was going to help give them a baby.
With the assistance of science and the wonderful doctors at The Regional Fertility Clinic here in Calgary, a 5 day old embryo (genetically created by the parents), was transferred in March 2020. The transfer was successful, the baby grew and grew.
Today, I am 28 weeks pregnant. In December of 2020, two very deserving people will hold their baby girl for the first time. I cannot express how grateful I am that they chose me to protect their most precious possession for 9 months. I am so excited that I have been a part of this journey and that the universe brought us together. I am SO thankful to my husband, who stood beside me to make this process possible. Watching our family grow and teaching my girls about the gift of life, and how all families are created differently, has been something we will all keep in our hearts forever.
If you, or anyone you know would make a great surrogate, please reach out. It is an incredible experience, and there are so many deserving people waiting to begin their families.
Learn more about surrogacy and how to begin your journey by visiting out Surrogates page.
