After 12 years of trying for a baby, a couple in the US have finally welcomed their first child and have two more on the way!
Since marrying in 2005, Lindsay and Brian Vargas have suffered through 15 miscarriages, an ectopic pregnancy, a number of failed surrogacy attempts and failed adoptions.
They started trying to have a family not long after they wed but found it difficult to conceive. Lindsay was put on medication to boost her ovulation by her obstetrician.
“My doctor kept increasing the dose beyond the recommended length of time and didn’t monitor me,” she told Yahoo.
“As a result, I developed a softball-sized cyst on my ovaries.”
The cyst was removed and the couple spent five years trying to get pregnant via artificial insemination.
They had some early success in conceiving but suffered thirteen miscarriages, as well as an ectopic pregnancy.
“I kept getting pregnant, but I’d miscarry each time after about eight weeks,” said Lindsay.
“We’d hear the baby’s heartbeat at our first ultrasound, but at the next appointment there would be no heartbeat.
“After the first four miscarriages, we stopped telling people we were pregnant. I kept a secret life because I was embarrassed to share that there was no baby anymore.”
At this point, the couple accepted an offer from Lindsay’s sister Kelly to carry a baby for them.
It turned out that Kelly had health difficulties of her own – a scan revealed a benign tumour on her ovary. After this was removed, Kelly was injected with donor sperm.
The first four attempts to conceive using Kelly’s egg were unsuccessful, leaving the couple out thousands of dollars but without a baby.
Lindsay and Brian with baby Henley.
The couple decided to pursue surrogacy but with a different surrogate and started a GoFundMe page to help fund their dream of having a child.
After their GoFundMe page went live, a woman got in touch and asked them to adopt her baby.
“A birth mother who was pregnant and saw our story, and she felt that God led her to us and asked if we were interested in possibly parenting her child,” said Lindsay.
They adopted the newborn girl, who they called Henley, last month.
In a lovely twist, Kelly has fallen pregnant with the two embryos left from her earlier surrogacy attempts and so Brian and Lindsay will welcome twins next year.
“How will I handle three children? It takes us forever to leave the house with Henley!” Lindsay joked.
She hopes her and her husband’s story will inspire other couples who are struggling.
“I want to turn this into something positive for others. We’ve been through hell and back, but it’s worth it.”
