A woman desperate to be a mum is trying to raise money for a surrogate – even though she knows her choice will not be popular with everyone.
Jamie Potts believes infertility "strips you of your womanhood" after she and her partner, Mike, began appealing for £20,000 worth of donations to help them make their dream come true.
The 36-year-old has health complications which mean she is unable to carry a child to full term, the Manchester Evening News reports.
She has been through two rounds of IVF , and both her and Mike, 26, have endured heartache after heartache after each attempt failed.
Last month, she underwent her last procedure to harvest eggs.
She now has two embryos left, and knowing she cannot carry them herself, is desperate to find a surrogate to carry them for her.
Jamie, who works in health and social care but took time off to focus on starting a family, was told by doctors she has tubal blockage in both fallopian tubes, an under-active thyroid, low AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) and a bicornuate uterus.
She said that both she and Mike are desperate to start a family, and explains why they believe surrogacy is the way to help them find their happiness.
“It’s my life,” Jamie, from Salford, said. “To me being a mum is as important as breathing.
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted since I was a little girl.
“Some people were born to be doctors, or nurses – I was born to be a mum.
“My sisters have children. I’ve nursed them, watched them grow, learn to walk and talk.
“It’s heartbreaking as all I want is a child of my own to share that with.”
Jamie says the couple went through their first round of IVF four years ago, with the most recent last month.
She added: “We have also looked into adoption, but we have been told that it is a last point of call. We have to explore every other avenue first.
“I can’t carry a child, but we have two embryos left in the freezer that we want someone to carry for us.”
Jamie said she accepts the fact not everyone will agree with to what they are doing. But she feels like they have no other option.
Jamie explained that surrogacy fees are very expensive, with couples often paying out tens of thousands of pounds in fees and expenses for the surrogate and their family, as well as any further IVF treatment needed.
“It is a huge cost,” she added.
“Especially as we want to do it properly through the Care Fertility Manchester clinic. We’ve looked at other options – there’s a fantastic Facebook group which helps IPs [intended parents] to find surrogates without the fees, but it can take 12 months for you to find a person and build a friendship.
“It’s really hard – you can’t just message them asking them to be your baby machine or surrogate. I’m 36 now and time isn’t on my side.
“That is why we want to go down the route of going through the clinic. By putting it into their hands then they do all the matching for you, saving you the stress of finding a surrogate.”
“I’ve read stories about people who have re-mortgaged their homes to become parents,” she added.
“But we aren’t in the position to do that.
“That’s why we set up the appeal, reaching out to family, friends, and even strangers to help make our dream of becoming a family come true.”
Click here to donate.
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