The Happy Couple
As soon as Kevin and Nicole Barattini got married, the happy couple decided they were ready to take the next step: to become parents.
However, luck was not on their side and conceiving a child proved to be harder than they ever imagined. Even though they kept on trying for months, Nicole just wouldn't get pregnant. What was wrong?
They Weren't Giving Up
Despite the hardships, becoming parents was all the couple had wanted ever since their wedding in 2010, so they weren't willing to give up on their dream so easily.
Nicole scheduled an appointment with her doctor to see if there was something wrong. They ran some tests, but unfortunately, the results where not what they expected.
A Complicated Clinic History
It happens to be that Nicole had a long and complicated clinic history. When she was just a teenager, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease known as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), which causes the formation of blood clots and the reduction of the level of platelets in the blood.
This unusual disease can be deadly if it's not treated on time, but Nicole was lucky enough to receive an early diagnosis.
Between A Rock And A Hard Place
But why does all this even matter? Well, the doctor told Nicole that it's risky for female patients suffering from TTP to have a biological child. The thing is that Nicole's medication would probably be harmful to the baby and could even cause malformations.
At the same time, suspending the medication for 9 months could pose a serious risk to her health.
The Hard Truth
Naturally, Nicole was devastated by the discouraging news. She drove back home and broke into tears as soon as she saw Kevin, who recalls the whole thing.
> "I got home from work and Nicole had that look on her face like something was wrong and I’m never going to forget it. I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ and she said, ‘The doctor doesn’t think we can have children.’ And you know, nobody wants to hear that", Kevin said in an interview.
Risky Business
Nicole and Kevin talked it over the whole night. After all, getting pregnant wasn't totally off the table, but they were now fully aware what they would have to put up with.
> "I was able to conceive, but I wouldn't be able to have a healthy pregnancy. And it could result in death of myself or the baby", Nicole explained.
Pregnancy Was Off The Table
Actually, Kevin was the one who put his foot down. Nicole was initially keen on trying to get pregnant no matter the risks, but Kevin wasn't willing to let her wife put herself at risk.
Therefore, in the end, they both agreed that getting pregnant was off the table. This meant that the time had come to explore other alternatives.
Safer Options
So the couple had no choice but to be rational and start looking for other safer options. The first thing that Nicole did was to freeze her eggs, just in case they ever considered the option of surrogacy.
Meanwhile, however, they gave adoption some thought. They began looking into it, until they reached the following conclusion.
Too Expensive
Adoption was logically one of the first things that popped to their minds. Even though many parents don't feel comfortable with the idea of adopting a child, Nicole and Kevin didn't really care whether the child was biologically theirs or not: all they wanted was a family.
However, after looking into it, they realized that the whole process of adoption was incredibly expensive and that they just couldn't afford it. But what other option did they have?
The Cost Of Surrogacy
After adoption was ruled out, their next option was surrogacy. However, they were greatly discouraged upon finding out that surrogacy costed over $75.000.
It was even more expensive than adoption! Bearing this in mind, there was only one option left, but it was nearly impossible for it to happen. Can you guess what it was?
Their Only Hope
The couple's only hope was to find someone who would be willing to carry their baby for free. But let me tell you that it's not so simple to find a woman willing to have someone else's embryo implanted in her uterus.
> "We had heard stories that sisters carried and mothers carried, but I don’t have a sister, and my mother is over the age, Nicole sai
An Unusual Proposal
Things were looking grim, but you know what they say, every cloud has a silver lining! It turns out that Nicole and Kevin were best friends with this other couple, Lianna and Shaun.
They were the parents of 5 children, and as a crazy as it sounds, they were hoping to have more! However, when Nicole told her friend about her problems getting pregnant, Lianna came up with an unusual idea.
Lianna Steps In
It all began when Lianna and her husband invited Nicole and Kevin for dinner. While they were waiting for their meals, Lianna told Nicole that even though she already had 5 children, she was hoping to have one more.
Naturally, Nicole thought she was just rubbing it into her face! But moments later, Lianna said this...
They Were Left Baffled
As soon as Lianna confessed that she wanted to have one more baby, she then added: ‘No, not for me, for you guys- I’d like to carry a child. Kevin and Nicole were left baffled. Had she really said that? Had she really offered to carry their child?
> "The two of us, just forget about it. We just, we all started crying, Nicole confessed in an interview.
The Best Possible Scenario
Without a doubt, this was the best of all the scenarios for Nicole and her husband: not only had they found someone to be their surrogate, but the woman was one of their best friends and someone who they could really trust.
The embryos were planted by Dr. Richard Klein (the man from the photo), who confessed that it was "so much fun" to have both couples show up at each Nicole's appointments.
A Bundle Of Nerves
The embryos were planted in Lianna's uterus in July 2016, and it was in a matter of weeks that Nicole and Kevin would finally find out whether Lianna was pregnant with their baby or not.
As you can imagine, they were a bundle of nerves the days before the appointment. When the day finally came, they were both thrilled and anxious.
Moment Of Truth
Nicole and Kevin could barely get some sleep the day before the appointment. They had been longing to start a family of their own ever since the day of their wedding back in 2010, so we can only imagine how important this moment was for them.
Unfortunately, the news she received from Dr. Klein was not what they expected. Slide next to see what the doctor said.
Second Shot
However, the couple wasn't going to give up after their first failed attempt. After all, they were fully aware that it usually takes three times before fertilization finally works.
They gave it a second shot one month later, only this time, they planted more embryos to increase the odds. One week later, they found out the results.
They're Twins!
One more time, the two couples went to the doctor's appointment, longing for some good news at last. Luckily, this time, Lianna had gotten pregnant... and with twins!
It was the happiest day of their lives, and Nicole and Kevin announced this wonderful news in a party one week later.
The Day Finally Came
The twins were finally born on February 10, 2017. The couple had a girl and a boy, whom they named Luciana and Dominic. Not only had the pregnancy gone fine, but the babies were born with perfect health too!
> "It’s probably the most amazing thing, because you think it’s the end of the road, now here we are with two beautiful children", Kevin admitted.
A Dream Fulfilled
It's needless to say that Lianna and her husband Shawn were chosen as the twins' godparents. Nicole was able to fulfill her life goal of becoming a mother while staying on her medication, and she had Lianna to thank!
> "I don’t have a sister, but I’d consider her like that. We don’t hold back, we are open, honest, and I am constantly turning to her for guidance", Nicole said.
Sharing Their Story
Nicole and Kevin were so blissed that they chose to share their story to the rest of the world. In fact, they even began advocating for the legalization of surrogacy in New York.
> "We are happy that our story went public to help others in the time of need", Nicole said.
An Inspiring Story
Nicole and Kevin are now the proud parents of two beautiful and healthy twins. Right now, they are both working with legislators to change the laws on reproductive rights so that other couples have a higher chance of resorting to surrogacy.
> "There are people out there, like Lianna, that will do it out of kindness. It’s easier to find them than it seems. It’s never the end of the road.".