It’s a girl! Kelcey McKissack was born into the world on Wednesday not by her mother, but by her grandmother.
Tracey Thompson, 53, offered to give her daughter the miracle of life by being the surrogate of her granddaughter.
This birthing story started after 28-year-old Kelley McKissack faced years of infertility issues. Kelley and husband, Aaron, attempted multiple IVF treatments and suffered three heartbreaking miscarriages.
Infertility affects one out of every six couples, like the McKissacks. The couple had four embryos left from previous IVF treatments when Thompson offered to become the couple’s surrogate.
“My lovely mom offered to give me to greatest gift I could ever have in my life,” said the daughter.
When Kelley was a teenager, she jokingly asked her mom to carry her baby.
“She said, ‘If I can’t carry my own baby will you carry it for me?’ ” Thompson told CNN affiliate KTVT. “Of course I would, not dreaming that I would actually be doing it.”
This promise was kept when an embryo was successfully implanted into Thompson in April 2015. She was seven years past menopause but in excellent health, according to The Medical Center of Plano. Thompson did have to undergo several medical treatments beforehand to allow her body to carry a baby.
“It is such a blessing that I can do this for my daughter,” said Thompson.
She gave birth to Kelcey McKissack, a healthy 6-pound-11-ounce baby girl, on January 6 at The Medical Center of Plano in Texas. Kelcey’s unique name was created by combining her mother’s and grandmother’s names, Tracey and Kelley.
The family is sharing their story to spread the word that surrogacy is a viable option — particularly to those who are having trouble conceiving using other methods.