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RaSheila and Ryan
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<h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-large">OUR STORY</h2> </div>
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<div class="bb-theme-elementor-wrap bb-elementor-custom-family bb-elementor-custom-size bb-elementor-custom-line-height"> <p>While I, RaSheila, like to tell people we met on farmersonly.com, Ryan and I were introduced by a mutual friend while we were in school at Mizzou. Ryan and I still have a <strong>strong connection</strong> to our university and enjoy going back to games when possible. After getting married in my childhood church and <strong>the same place my parents got married</strong>, we knew we would want to have children who would also marry there one day. We just didn’t know the journey that we would take includes surrogacy to help us realize our dreams.</p> </div> </div>
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<h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-large">Our Interests</h2> </div>
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<div class="bb-theme-elementor-wrap bb-elementor-custom-color bb-elementor-custom-family bb-elementor-custom-size"> <p>We really <strong>enjoy traveling </strong>to different cities for shows and sporting events. While there, we also like to <strong>try new restaurants</strong> especially if they have something we wouldn’t normally have at home. When home, we like to <strong>garden</strong> when the seasons allow and have quite a few shows we watch together. We believe children belong on planes and out exploring as much as possible and can’t wait to have little ones to travel with and introduce to new things.</p> </div> </div>
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<h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-large">What led us to Surrogacy</h2> </div>
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<div class="bb-theme-elementor-wrap bb-elementor-custom-family bb-elementor-custom-size bb-elementor-custom-line-height"> <p><strong>Deciding to pursue surrogacy was not an easy road.</strong> After we experienced serious complications in two previous pregnancies that didn’t allow me to carry them to term, we consulted with my OBGYN and RE on next steps for us to start our family . <strong>At 22 weeks, I experienced early onset preeclampsia </strong>and had to be admitted into the hospital due to very serious side effects. While I was provided the very best care, it was a <strong>very traumatic experience</strong> for us and for our family who supported us during the entire process. Speaking with my OBGYN after our hospital stay and understanding how bad it really was, it was evident we would need to consider other, safer options for starting our family for both my health and the health of a future child. I knew what surrogacy was but took some time to really understand the full process. <strong>After research</strong>, we knew it was the safest and best option for us to start our family and have been searching for a person who would want to give us such a special gift and be part of our family long term.</p> </div> </div>
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<h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-large">Our Hopes & Dreams for Our Future Child</h2> </div>
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<div class="bb-theme-elementor-wrap bb-elementor-custom-family bb-elementor-custom-size bb-elementor-custom-line-height"> <p>Our hopes and dreams for our future children include raising them to be well-rounded individuals who can appreciate and participate in the traditions from both sides of our families. We want our future children to develop a strong sense of identity and also foster a deep appreciation for the diversity in the world around them.</p> </div> </div>
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<h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-large">What we are looking for in a Match</h2> </div>
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<div class="bb-theme-elementor-wrap bb-elementor-custom-color bb-elementor-custom-family bb-elementor-custom-size"> <p>I would <strong>love </strong>as much contact as a GC would be open to. Essentially, I would want our GC to be <strong>extended family</strong> long- term so my future child knows the person who carried them. At minimum, I would like to attend milestone appointments and for my husband and I to be part of the delivery.</p> </div> </div>
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<h2 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-large">Extra Information</h2> </div>
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<div class="bb-theme-elementor-wrap bb-elementor-custom-color bb-elementor-custom-family bb-elementor-custom-size"> <ul><li><h4><strong>Names: RaSheila & Ryan</strong></h4></li><li><h4><strong>Location:</strong> Naperville, IL</h4></li><li><h4><strong>Number of embryos: 12 PGS embryos</strong></h4></li><li><h4><strong>The Biggest Ask – if interested, email hello@thebiggestask.com</strong></h4></li><li><h4><strong>Fertility Clinic: Advanced IVF/CCRM </strong></h4></li><li><h4><strong>Surrogate Compensation: Medium/High</strong></h4></li><li><h4><strong>Fertility Clinic: </strong>Prefer a surrogate who is COVID vaccinated</h4></li><li><strong>Requirements: No history of preeclampsia</strong></li></ul> </div> </div>
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<h3 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default">The Biggest Ask SaysThe American Society for Reproductive Medicine provides the following recommendations for evaluation of gestational carriers (i.e., many fertility clinics will require the following for their gestational carriers):
- Carried at least 1 child without complications
- Fewer than 3 deliveries via c-section
- Be within the ages of 21 and 45
- Body mass index in between 19 and 32
- No smoking, abusing drugs, alcohol or prescription medications
- Not receiving welfare, public housing or cash assistance from the government
- Has a stable home life with emotional and child care support
- No mental health conditions requiring the use of medications within the last 6 months (including depression)
- No criminal record
Watch the following video to review the Medical and Psychological Clearance procedures that surrogates must complete.
No one likes to talk about surrogate compensation, but it is an important factor in any surrogacy agreement. The following is how we classify high, medium and low compensation (excluding the value of any benefits). Many factors affect surrogate compensation including surrogate experience (e.g., has the woman been a surrogate before?), whether the surrogate is signed up with an agency and surrogate preferences.
- Low = surrogate compensation less than $30,000
- Medium = surrogate compensation between $30,000 and $45,000
- High = surrogate compensation greater than $45,000
You can learn more about how much surrogates get paid in our surrogacy guide’s module: “How much does surrogacy cost?”.
Could you be their surrogate?
If you're interested in learning more about John & Laura, send us an email at hello@thebiggestask.com - subject line "John & Laura".
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