Cameron, American Intended Parent in Torrance, California, USA

Explain your reasons for wanting a surrogate/donor:

I was pregnant with our first child, a girl in *** In my 22nd week, I began experiencing shortness of breath, swelling, a fever, exhaustion, and all kinds of other problems. Ultimately, I was admitted to the hospital on 11/2 with preeclampsia, HELLP and heart failure brought on by peripartum cardiomyopathy which resulted in the emergency c-section and still birth of our daughter, Avery Jean at 24 weeks on 11/3. Though fully recovered physically, the likelihood of recurrence of the pregnancy induced cardio myopathy is just too high for my husband and I to try again with me carrying our child. If it were up to me, I would go through the physical trauma all over again if it resulted in us having a baby at the end of it, but there is just too much risk and likelihood that we would have to force an early birth which could result once again in the death of our child or such an early delivery creating a poor quality of life that we are not willing to put on our baby just for me to "give it a shot" once again. We are actively seeking alternate options to have our own child, but hopefully with a surrogate carrying.