By Monica Gonzales
My name is Monica Gonzales and I’m Ashley’s Aunt. It is such an honor for me to share my personal experiences with Surrogacy with Amelia Molly’s Angels. Surrogacy is one of those subjects that often if you have not personally been involved in its emotional journey, it is difficult to understand the process. If you could be in the birth-room watching a woman become a mother for the first time…. you would have a better understanding of the magic of surrogacy. I recognize I left out the father (he is important too), but my attachment in the process was with the mother. It was such a beautiful journey to learn that I had the power to help heal another woman’s soul. I’m fairly confident I got more out of the experience than the new mom and dad!
My decision to do Surrogacy was motived by my heavenly father, Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. He planted the seed in my heart, and I went for it! It was a difficult journey and getting family, friends, and society to buy into me wanting to do this was, at times, difficult. Some people in my life never accepted my decision and others admired it. Yet, I knew the whole time it was a God centered decision and I stayed strong in this belief.
It would not be prudent to take my personal experience and think that your journey would be the same. There are too many factors and people involved in the decision process for any two situations to be the same. My journey in surrogacy is unique and individual to me. Often, it’s a beautiful process, but there have been times of unforeseen emotional struggles. I used a professional agency that screened me and the parents. They were there the whole time to address inevitable issues that arise in such an emotional and long process. Getting through the screening process, getting pregnant, and giving birth was about a two-year process. Not to mention trying to lose the weight and returning to normalcy.
As I close, I must give a special applause to the husbands who agree to our journey of wanting to help another woman become a mother. My husband thought I was crazy when I brought up the subject to him. He slowly accepted me “looking into it.” Yet, when he finally met our couple for the first time over lunch, afterwards in the car he said to me, “You have to help them!” He has been my rock and support in all of life’s journeys. I could have never accomplished such greatness in giving life to such a precious baby soul without his help, love, and support.
I’m so very proud of my brother Monty’s daughter Ashley and her husband Michael for choosing love, kindness, and generosity through pain. May we all rise to such excellence in our trying times.
Aunt Monica