Mrs. Plaid, Baby, and Ugly Guy
http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=346688
HEALTH: Priceless Gift
Seneca woman carries child for her best friend
10/19/2007, 1:04 pm
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STEPHANIE SZUDA, stephanies@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4087
For 10 years, Tracy and Scott Thorsen didn't have the family they wanted.
It seemed they were out of options.
Then Tracy's best friend made a suggestion that would change their lives -- and create a life.
Betsy Elliot, of Seneca, served as a surrogate mother for the couple's baby girl, Kendall.
"Because of Betsy's love for God and her own children, she sacrificed a whole year of her life to give us something no one else could," Tracy Thorsen told The Times. "We're grateful for that."
In April 2006, Thorsen, of Ottawa, had a miscarriage after 18 weeks of pregnancy. Her doctor had told her that, due to a health condition, if that pregnancy wasn't successful, she wouldn't be able to carry another child. She and Scott had been married 10 years and always wanted children.
"I pretty much knew from problems that I had, it was the only chance," Thorsen said. "It was pretty devastating. We had already considered adopting prior to that."
Even though Thorsen told Elliot she didn't have to, Elliot came to the hospital to visit her friend after the pregnancy ended.
"That day I knew I wanted to carry a baby for her," Elliot said.
In the following six months, Elliot prayed and the thought of helping Thorsen grew stronger until she finally discussed the idea with her husband, Kevin. He agreed and she immediately went to speak to Thorsen.
She was so anxious she didn't call Thorsen to ask if she could drop in until she was sitting in Thorsen's driveway. She told Thorsen of her plan and, in response, Thorsen didn't know what to say.
"That's the first time she's ever been speechless," Elliot said.
Although she was at first startled, Thorsen happily accepted her friend's offer.
"We knew that was the only chance I'd have to have a pregnancy," Thorsen said. "You never expect someone from outside the family to come and offer something so huge."
Scott Thorsen jokes about how he was the last to know.
Never before had the mother of six considered surrogacy.
"People always tell me, 'I can't believe it.' But it's because of who she is," Elliot said of her best friend.
Elliot and Thorsen met two and a half years ago at women's Bible study at Praise Center Church in Ottawa. The two immediately hit it off, but neither knew how close they'd eventually become.
Once the process began they quickly found surrogacy was no fairy tale, Thorsen said. It takes lots of planning -- and paperwork. The next four months were filled with counseling, lawyer meetings and testing. The Food and Drug Administration has several rules, Scott Thorsen said.
"It was a rather drawn out ordeal," he explained.
Before the procedure was done, both couples had to be tested for a clean bill of health, every "what if" had to be covered in a 30-page contract and many counseling sessions had to be completed for both couples, together and as separate couples.
"I was very mentally prepared," Elliot said. "I've always thought, 'It's not my baby.' I have six. That's enough."
Even Elliot's 4-year-old twin boys understood the baby would not be their sister. They referred to her as Tracy's baby. The only thing they didn't understand was when their mother lost her big belly.
"They asked if the doctor was putting her back. I said, 'No, she stays out,'" Elliot said with a laugh.
She became pregnant by the in vitro fertilization/gestational surrogacy program, where the ovum and sperm of the couple are combined to create embryos that are implanted into the uterus of the surrogate mother. The baby is 100 percent Tracy and Scott's.
Because of everyone's ages, there was only a 40 to 50 percent chance the procedure would be successful. To her husband's dismay, Elliot had to receive daily shots two weeks prior to the surgery and 10 weeks after, which he had to administer. Elliot, 41, was successfully inseminated the first time.
Due to Elliot's success rate with pregnancy, Thorsen had high hopes for the first try. She said she was more concerned with the number of babies that might be produced.
"We did a good job. Look at that little hicuppin' pumpkin over there," Thorsen, 38, said, as Kendall laid contently 15 feet away.
Pregnancy certainly wasn't new territory for Elliot. She said the pregnancy -- her sixth overall -- was "a breeze."
"Now, when she says it was a breeze, she threw up three to four times a day the first three or four months," Thorsen said.
Although this was Elliot's sixth pregnancy, she said Kendall's was a bit more unique. They saw Kendall right from the start of her conception.
"We saw her as an embryo, which is amazing," Elliot said. "I never saw that with any of my six children."
Eleven days after the conception, an ultrasound was performed, unveiling the "little dark spot," which was Tracy and Scott's baby inside Elliot.
Kendall was born Sept. 26 at Morris Hospital. That same day she was taken to Loyola Hospital for breathing problems, where she stayed for 11 days.
Elliot said it was a little frustrating being left behind in Morris while, Kendall, Tracy and Scott went to Loyola.
"But look at her now," Elliot said. "She has no problems (breathing)," Thorsen said.
The birth certificate was a bit of confusing for the hospital. Some of the nurses weren't aware Elliot wasn't the biological mother and her name wasn't to appear on the certificate, although the parents had all the legal work at the hospital weeks in advance.
"I wish I had all the money in the world," Thorsen said. "But it still wouldn't be enough for the gift she's given us."
HEALTH: Priceless Gift
Seneca woman carries child for her best friend
10/19/2007, 1:04 pm
Comment on this story
STEPHANIE SZUDA, stephanies@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4087
For 10 years, Tracy and Scott Thorsen didn't have the family they wanted.
It seemed they were out of options.
Then Tracy's best friend made a suggestion that would change their lives -- and create a life.
Betsy Elliot, of Seneca, served as a surrogate mother for the couple's baby girl, Kendall.
"Because of Betsy's love for God and her own children, she sacrificed a whole year of her life to give us something no one else could," Tracy Thorsen told The Times. "We're grateful for that."
In April 2006, Thorsen, of Ottawa, had a miscarriage after 18 weeks of pregnancy. Her doctor had told her that, due to a health condition, if that pregnancy wasn't successful, she wouldn't be able to carry another child. She and Scott had been married 10 years and always wanted children.
"I pretty much knew from problems that I had, it was the only chance," Thorsen said. "It was pretty devastating. We had already considered adopting prior to that."
Even though Thorsen told Elliot she didn't have to, Elliot came to the hospital to visit her friend after the pregnancy ended.
"That day I knew I wanted to carry a baby for her," Elliot said.
In the following six months, Elliot prayed and the thought of helping Thorsen grew stronger until she finally discussed the idea with her husband, Kevin. He agreed and she immediately went to speak to Thorsen.
She was so anxious she didn't call Thorsen to ask if she could drop in until she was sitting in Thorsen's driveway. She told Thorsen of her plan and, in response, Thorsen didn't know what to say.
"That's the first time she's ever been speechless," Elliot said.
Although she was at first startled, Thorsen happily accepted her friend's offer.
"We knew that was the only chance I'd have to have a pregnancy," Thorsen said. "You never expect someone from outside the family to come and offer something so huge."
Scott Thorsen jokes about how he was the last to know.
Never before had the mother of six considered surrogacy.
"People always tell me, 'I can't believe it.' But it's because of who she is," Elliot said of her best friend.
Elliot and Thorsen met two and a half years ago at women's Bible study at Praise Center Church in Ottawa. The two immediately hit it off, but neither knew how close they'd eventually become.
Once the process began they quickly found surrogacy was no fairy tale, Thorsen said. It takes lots of planning -- and paperwork. The next four months were filled with counseling, lawyer meetings and testing. The Food and Drug Administration has several rules, Scott Thorsen said.
"It was a rather drawn out ordeal," he explained.
Before the procedure was done, both couples had to be tested for a clean bill of health, every "what if" had to be covered in a 30-page contract and many counseling sessions had to be completed for both couples, together and as separate couples.
"I was very mentally prepared," Elliot said. "I've always thought, 'It's not my baby.' I have six. That's enough."
Even Elliot's 4-year-old twin boys understood the baby would not be their sister. They referred to her as Tracy's baby. The only thing they didn't understand was when their mother lost her big belly.
"They asked if the doctor was putting her back. I said, 'No, she stays out,'" Elliot said with a laugh.
She became pregnant by the in vitro fertilization/gestational surrogacy program, where the ovum and sperm of the couple are combined to create embryos that are implanted into the uterus of the surrogate mother. The baby is 100 percent Tracy and Scott's.
Because of everyone's ages, there was only a 40 to 50 percent chance the procedure would be successful. To her husband's dismay, Elliot had to receive daily shots two weeks prior to the surgery and 10 weeks after, which he had to administer. Elliot, 41, was successfully inseminated the first time.
Due to Elliot's success rate with pregnancy, Thorsen had high hopes for the first try. She said she was more concerned with the number of babies that might be produced.
"We did a good job. Look at that little hicuppin' pumpkin over there," Thorsen, 38, said, as Kendall laid contently 15 feet away.
Pregnancy certainly wasn't new territory for Elliot. She said the pregnancy -- her sixth overall -- was "a breeze."
"Now, when she says it was a breeze, she threw up three to four times a day the first three or four months," Thorsen said.
Although this was Elliot's sixth pregnancy, she said Kendall's was a bit more unique. They saw Kendall right from the start of her conception.
"We saw her as an embryo, which is amazing," Elliot said. "I never saw that with any of my six children."
Eleven days after the conception, an ultrasound was performed, unveiling the "little dark spot," which was Tracy and Scott's baby inside Elliot.
Kendall was born Sept. 26 at Morris Hospital. That same day she was taken to Loyola Hospital for breathing problems, where she stayed for 11 days.
Elliot said it was a little frustrating being left behind in Morris while, Kendall, Tracy and Scott went to Loyola.
"But look at her now," Elliot said. "She has no problems (breathing)," Thorsen said.
The birth certificate was a bit of confusing for the hospital. Some of the nurses weren't aware Elliot wasn't the biological mother and her name wasn't to appear on the certificate, although the parents had all the legal work at the hospital weeks in advance.
"I wish I had all the money in the world," Thorsen said. "But it still wouldn't be enough for the gift she's given us."
0
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Congrats Scott!
Don0 -
quote:Originally posted by dongizmo
Congrats Scott!
Don
+++10 -
CONGRAGULATIONS!!!![8D]
Beautiful baby you got there.
Ben0 -
Heartwarming story.
Truly is a priceless gift.
Congrats. [:D]0 -
What a wonderful story !!
Doug0 -
[:D][:D][;)] 0 -
congratulations!
here's to the hiccuping pumpkin.0 -
congrats Scott and the Mrs. now your house really is a "HOME"..Loko [:D][^] 0 -
Is that a "plaid" shirt??? Nice looking kid ya got there, and ifn it ain't you, its still a nice looking kid!![;)] 0 -
congratulations, a gift from the lord...the little one and good friends[;)][:D] 0
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