They experienced their fair share of heartbreak in the first years of their marriage, struggling to conceive their much-longed-for babies; so Chicago couple Nancy and Justin Rohde are naturally ecstatic to now call themselves parents.
The Rohdes have made headlines around the world this week, after welcoming two daughters – who were born five weeks apart, in two different states!
The ‘twinblings’ are biological sisters: one of whom was carried by a surrogate, and the other conceived naturally to Nancy and Justin.
The couple turned to surrogacy after undergoing multiple failed attempts at IVF, and endured further heartbreak when their surrogate suffered a miscarriage.
Things began to look up for the couple, however, when they met surrogate Ashley Brown, who agreed to carry their child.
Shortly after meeting Ashley, Nancy discovered that she was pregnant. Nervous that something might go wrong, she and Justin decided to go ahead with their surrogacy plan. Five weeks later, Ashley fell pregnant – they were expecting two babies!
On 2nd May, Nancy gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter Lillian Quinn, in Chicago.
Five weeks later, the couple travelled to Utah, where Ashley was induced at 39 weeks. On 7th June, Ashley gave birth to the Rohdes’ second child, Audrey Eleanor.
Nancy told Kidspot: “I just feel so lucky to hold them. Maybe because of all the trauma we’ve been through, I’m just like, ‘Is this real?’”
What a gorgeous story. We’re delighted for the couple.
