Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters, I am reaching out with hope in my heart as I begin one of the most meaningful journeys of my life—the journey to become a mother. After surviving a ruptured brain aneurysm and stroke at age 25 (I had a 1% of living), I learned that every day is a gift and that dreams are worth pursuing, even when the path is unexpected. One dream has remained constant throughout my life: becoming a mom. Because of my medical history and previous injuries, I am unable to safely carry a pregnancy myself. After suffering five pelvic fractures, my doctors advised me that pregnancy and childbirth would be medically dangerous for my body. While hearing that news was heartbreaking, it led me to another path toward motherhood: building my family with the help of a gestational carrier. My future daughter already has a name—Gracie Lee Clemens—and I am working toward the day I can finally hold her in my arms. The process of having a child through a gestational carrier is complex and expensive. Expenses include medical care, legal services, insurance, agency fees, travel costs, and compensation for the gestational carrier. The total cost can exceed $200,000. I am creating this fundraiser to help make motherhood possible and to prepare for welcoming Gracie into the world in the spring of 2030. Every contribution, no matter the amount, will go toward the expenses associated with this family-building journey. If you are unable to donate, your prayers, encouragement, and sharing of this fundraiser mean just as much. Your support reminds me that no dream is achieved alone. Thank you for believing in me, in this journey, and in the future of a little girl who is already loved beyond measure. I am deeply grateful to God for carrying me through every challenge and for giving me hope for the future. I look forward to the day I can tell Gracie about the incredible kindness, generosity, and faith that helped bring her into my life. With gratitude and hope, Michelle Clemens Future Mom to Gracie Lee Clemens