1. Surrogacy Update

   February 18, 2026(edited)

   Our Surrogacy Journey: 🤍 Hi everyone, it’s been a little while since we’ve shared an update. As many of you know, our road to parenthood has looked a bit different. We’ve been navigating the world of surrogacy to safely grow our family. Where we are now Last year was a year of immense hope, but also significant heartbreak. We moved forward with three embryo transfers in April, June, and October. Sadly, we experienced two early miscarriages. Because our embryos were genetically tested and healthy, our medical team has advised us that the best path forward is to find a new surrogate. This was a difficult decision to make, but we are remaining hopeful and focused on the end goal, bringing our baby home. We have found another surrogate who has had her records reviewed and now in the medical clearance phase. Understanding the \"Hidden\" Side of Surrogacy We’ve realized that while we share milestones like \"finding a surrogate\" or \"getting medical clearance,\" it’s hard for those on the outside to see the weight behind those words. Many people have asked what goes into this, and we want to be open about why this journey is so taxing both emotionally and financially. Starting Over Means Re-Funding: When we have to find a new surrogate, we aren\'t just \"switching gears.\" Each time a new surrogate is found, there is a massive financial reset. This includes record reviews, medical clearance evaluation, psychological evaluations, and background checks. The Cost of \"Clearance”: Even before a transfer happens, \"medical clearance\" involves specialized travel, intensive testing, and legal contracts for the new surrogate and her spouse. These steps alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars before we even reach the IVF clinic. The Emotional Toll of \"What Ifs\": Every failed transfer or miscarriage isn\'t just a loss of time; it’s a loss of a dream we’ve spent months (and thousands) preparing for. Why We Share This We share this not to complain, but so you truly understand the magnitude of what it takes to build a family this way. We hope that anyone going through infertility feels a little bit less alone. Your donations, shares, and prayers aren\'t just \"help\" they are the only reason we can keep going. Thank you for staying in the trenches with us. With love, Audra & Luke @everyone

2. Surrogacy update

   February 13, 2025(edited)

   Here are some newer updates on our surrogacy journey. If you are new, Luke and I are currently going through surrogacy due to having a kidney transplant. My kidney is healthy, which is why we don’t want to risk a chance of losing the kidney & ending back on dialysis. Pregnancy is hard in general but only having 1 kidney would more than likely send me into kidney failure. Luke and I have agreed it would be safer for someone else to carry our baby. Luke and I have completed all necessary steps needed before transferring our embryo to our surrogate at this point. Getting to this point has been somewhat easy but stressful. If you are not familiar with surrogacy, the journey is a complete roller coaster emotionally. There are so many steps, along with the “what ifs” in order to get to the main reason why we are doing this! Fertility appts 1st round of IVF Starting IVF medications for Audra Monitoring & labs for Audra Egg retrieval procedure Creating embryos Embryo genetic testing 2nd round of IVF Finding a surrogate Labs & psych evals for both Audra & Luke Medical clearance for surrogate Labs & psych evals for surrogate & spouse Mock cycle & screenings for surrogate Finding lawyers for Audra & Luke Finding lawyer for surrogate *completing legal contracts *Escrow account fully funded These are steps we have gone through to make it to this point. Luke and I have finalized our side of the contract and waiting for our surrogate and her lawyer to review and then finalize their side. We are hoping to be done with contracts by the end of Feb. Our surrogate will start medications for a months duration and then we will be ready for transfer! We are so so lucky we are even able to have the choice of surrogacy. Surrogacy is not easy in anyway. It is emotionally and financially draining. If you are unaware, surrogacy can cost anywhere from 150k-200k. We are so fortunate my insurance has helped with thousands of dollars in this process as well as family and friends. We want to thank everyone who has donated to help our family, shared our story, and kept us in your thoughts.

About the Organizer