FIVE years ago, 23-year-old Jessica Truong was 27-weeks pregnant when she suffered a traumatic loss that ultimately changed the rest of her life. But thanks to her cousin Renee Carter, Jessica has been able to find happiness after devastation.
“Jessica’s baby girl Cara was born sleeping and Jessica had a partial hysterectomy. She almost lost her life,” Renee said.
“She awoke from surgery to a sleeping baby and the news that she could not carry another baby. Jessica’s ovaries were saved. The surgeon mentioned to Jessica she may still have a family if they found a surrogate.”
Almost three months after the devastating news, Renee and her husband Shannon, who together had two children Mikayla and Olivia, decided they wanted to help.
“After a lot of talking, Shannon and I offered to help Jessica and Hung start their family by carrying their baby. Shannon and I wanted to be completely committed before offering so we spoke a lot with our kids and our families,” Renee said.
“I had no apprehensions in helping them. Shannon was as excited as I to start the journey and was very supportive. All our family was so proud of what we were doing and Jessica’s family were incredibly thankful.”
Shannon and Renee had to attend counselling, psychology and legal appointments for 12 month before going through IVF.
“The surrogacy involved Jessica’s eggs and Hung’s sperm so the baby is 100 per cent their DNA,” Renee said.
“The implant took place on 26 November, 2011.”
Fortunately, Renee fell pregnancy straight away and Jessica’s dream of having a baby was becoming a reality.
“We were so excited and grateful that we were successful on the first embryo transfer and that all of the work that all of us had done to get there had finally paid off,” Jessica said.
“I remember telling them with tears in my eyes that it was happening. It was the final leg of the journey.”
Though Jessica was unable to carry her baby, she was very much involved.
“Jessica was amazing. She ran the pregnancy. Any appointments I needed to be at, Jessica would organise and tell me to be there. She was always checking on me to see how I was and to let her know if I needed anything. I wanted this to be Jessica’s pregnancy. I was the incubator – that’s all,” Renee said.
“She felt the baby kick the first time at the doctors, it was awesome. I would also send videos of my belly moving to her.”
The baby was due on 20 August, but the doctors decided the safest option was for Renee to deliver the baby by an elective caesarean on 9 August.
Dr Davis Simon delivered a beautiful and healthy 6 pound 13 ounce baby girl, Charlotte Thao Truong – the first baby born by surrogate at the Warragul Hospital.
Shannon handed her to Jessica, and Renee met Charlotte a few hours later. Renee was given tablets to stop her milk from coming in and Jessica was given medication to help produce milk, allowing her to breastfeed her own daughter.
“It wasn’t hard for me to leave the hospital without a baby in my arms because I knew what I had done to help my cousin and her husband start their family,” Renee said.
“Jessica and I have become very close after this journey, and though there is no maternal connection, Charlotte and I have our own special bond.”
While Renee and Shannon thought they were done having children, they got a big surprise a couple years later.
“My husband and I thought that we were finished having children, but last year around August we started talking about having another baby. Then in September, I was pregnant with our own third baby. We had only begun talking about having another baby, but nature made the decision for us.”
Gwendoline Ruby Carter was born on 30 June, weighing 10 pound 11 ounces.
Jessica and Hung also had another daughter, Lia, in December 2014, born to another surrogate. Renee said she did not plan to have any more children of her own, but would not rule out being a surrogate again.
“To help a family become a family is amazing,” she said. “Jessica and Hung are on amazing couple and Shannon and I were so glad to be able to do what we did for them.”
