A 61-year-old woman gave birth to her own granddaughter last March 25, after a two-year process, to help give her son a child.
Cecile Eledge offered straight away to become a surrogate when her son Matthew Eledge and his husband Elliot Dougherty told her they wanted to start a family, Buzzfeed News reported on Thursday, March 28.
Fortunately, Cecile has always been in the pink of health, and in her senior age was still able to become pregnant on the first try. On March 25, Uma Louise was born.
Photos of the birth were captured by photographer Ariel Panowicz and posted on Facebook on March 26.
Helping Matthew and Elliot have a child was a family effort. Elliot’s sister Lea donated her eggs which were fertilized with Matthew’s sperm. Three viable embryos came of the process and one was implanted in Cecile.
To get pregnant, Cecile took estrogen so she could get her period again even if she was postmenopausal. Although she was familiar with being pregnant with her three children, this time, she felt that the symptoms were “more elevated.”
However, she still maintained an active lifestyle. Her husband Kirk praised her for the willingness to go through pregnancy again. “I’ve just had a real love for her all my life, and now this is even more special,” he told Buzzfeed.
Matthew is a teacher and Elliot a hairdresser, so the decision to go through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) was not taken lightly, considering the costs and time it would take. While they considered adoption, Nebraska laws still have to advance for same-sex couples and the LGBTQ+ community.
It was only two years ago that same-sex couples were allowed to become foster parents. In 2015, Matthew was fired as a teacher at a private Catholic school when he said he would marry Elliot.
Thankfully, the couple has a strong support system among loved ones, including a friend who donated her breastmilk to feed their newborn.
“We love women — we think women should rule the world,” added Matthew. “Our daughter, Uma, gets to be surrounded by all these smart, beautiful, compassionate women.” Niña V. Guno/JB
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