So things have been pretty crazy for us the past few months but we are happy to report some good news for a change. I am recovering from what we believe was my last big reconstruction surgery. So far, this recovery is very similar to past surgeries and has come with some physical and emotional struggles because forced rest and an idle mind has always been hard for me. The healing has begun and I am happy to finally put this long and painful surgical path behind me.

The second part of our news is making the recovery process a little sweeter and has our family feeling like things are finally turning in a positive direction this holiday season. For the first time in a very long time we are full of hope for our future and I cannot help but feel that my friend Erin and some other very special people have been pulling some serious strings for us from above. As many of you know, cancer has taken my ability to conceive and carry a second child in the traditional way, however we did harvest my eggs before my cancer treatments and a partial hysterectomy took place. The past few years have been full of surgeries and ongoing medical expenses so although we have been hoping our family could grow at some point we have been trying to pay down our medical debt first. Well…we just received some really GREAT news! Our family has been selected as the recipient of an amazing grant program that helps make this process a little more possible for young families who have been affected by cancer. The only catch is that we need to make this happen very quickly or we will lose our grant.

Although asking for help is very hard for us to do, this is where you come in. Jordan and I have 16 frozen embryos stored at the Fertility Center here in Grand Rapids, and we are now on a hunt for someone willing to carry our biological child for us. The laws in Michigan are pretty tricky as it is illegal to hire or pay someone to carry a child for you. This actually works to our benefit as we could not afford that process. The loophole is that it is 100% legal to be a gestational carrier in Michigan if you are willing to do so as an incredible blessing and gift without any form of payment. Asking someone to carry a child for you is no small ask, but we can assure you that as a carrier you would not be responsible for any expenses due to any part of this process and you would be giving us the most incredible blessing that we could ever ask for.

We had really hoped that we could do this privately and only publicly announce a pregnancy if we are blessed with success, however because of the timeframe put in place by this grant, my doctors are suggesting that we go public in our search to find our gestational carrier. Because this would need to happen very, very quickly, we are looking for your help in finding the perfect carrier to help our family grow.

There are just a few stipulations – we were told that women 40 and under have the best chance at achieving pregnancy during this process, so we would naturally be looking for someone in that age range, if possible. We would also love to find someone who will make healthy choices during a pregnancy and is located within a driving distance so we could be as much a part of the process as possible in at least making all of the appointments. Lastly, we would really love to find someone who is willing to let us document and share this experience in the same ways that I have shared my cancer journey. There are so many young families who are walking in our shoes. We would love to help bring hope to families who are facing similar fertility struggles because of a cancer diagnosis at a young age.

Jordan, myself and our daughter have been dreaming about this possibly for years now and we would be eternally grateful to anyone willing to give us this amazing gift. If you or anyone you know is willing to be our gestational carrier in the very near future please reach out to us directly by emailing us at mypersonalpinktime@gmail.com. We would be happy to discuss the details at great length, but you can also find information about this process through this link on the Fertility Center’s webpage, or even schedule an appointment to talk to their donor coordinators free of charge: https://www.fertilitycentermi.com/gestational-carrier/

All our gratitude,
Tammy and Jordan Myers

Photos by: Shutter Sam Photography