Nicole and Kevin Barattini were planning to add another member to the family and they were always disappointed while holding a negative pregnancy strip. That is when their friends stepped in to help them with the expansion of the family. However, after everything fell into place, they got the news that changed their lives. We will have to find out if it was for the better or not.
Married Couple
Nicole and Kevin Barrattini have been married since 2010 and it was after a few years that they decided to take a leap towards a bigger family. The couple already had dogs but now they wanted kids to be part of this fam-jam.
Nicole always wanted a big family with loads of kids so they embarked on a journey of making kids and that was the beginning of this beautiful saga.
Trying Over And Over
They tried to become parents and their beginning was heartbreaking. They were trying to conceive for years and there was no positive result of the action that took place in the bedroom. The hopeful couple was shattered each time.
There was hope in their heart but they didn’t know how bad things were going to get.
The Check-Up
After the heartbreaking years, the couple decided to look for help from a professional. After a complete check-up, they realized their world was about to shatter into small pieces. They had fertility issues and it was possible that both of them had a problem.
They were not prepared for this news and they had a breakdown as you must have expected.
TTP
As the check-up went into detail, they realized that they couldn’t conceive because of the blood disease Nicole had when she was 16. She had thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and the case was chronic.
She initially had a few small red dots and it spread on her whole body. She didn’t take it seriously initially but it could have claimed her life if it wasn’t treated at the right time or in the right way.
Hospitalization
The time when there was not much scope of plasma exchange, the rate of mortality in the case of TTP was 95%. Shocking? However, in Nicole’s case, she was in the remaining 5%. When she was detected with the disease, she was hospitalized and blood transfusion was made immediately.
Things have been fine after that until Nicole and her husband wanted to have kids. The disease created a hurdle for the couple to become parents.
Prognosis
For over a decade, the disease was not a problem but now that they wanted kids, the doctor said that Nicole cannot and shouldn’t have kids as it may risk a lot. The doctors said that the disease might put the baby’s or Nicole’s lives in danger and that much of pain wasn’t worth anything.
The couple was in shock and was devastated by the cluster of terrible information.
Thinking Over It
Nicole was a strong woman and was even stubborn at times. She wanted to take the risk of getting pregnant even after all the complications. No one was happy with this strong headedness and wanted her to step back.
Her husband knew all the risks and was against her at this point of time. He knew that the stubbornness was out of desperation of becoming a mother. However, he was not going to risks the life of his wife in any case.
Considering Options
One of them was adoption. The couple might have run out of the chances to get pregnant but there were other options. They were determined to expand their family. They were aware of all options and they wanted to know which one would work for them.
After they found out the money it would take to adopt a child, they knew they couldn’t afford and that door was closed for them.
Surrogacy?
The adoption was off the table. International adoption would have cost them a fortune. They were left with just one option and it was surrogacy. The couple didn’t waste another minute and started looking for a surrogate.
However, all they could find was disappointment. In New York, the practice of paying a surrogate was illegal. They had to hire an out of state surrogate and would have cost them $150,000. At every stage, the couple had some blockages and they were running out of hope now.
Still On It
They thought that they couldn’t even go with surrogacy unless someone does it for free. Nicole didn’t have any sisters or cousins who would carry a baby for her and her husband. There was just one way if anyone was willing to be a surrogate.
Even if they did find one surrogate there was a problem that still persisted. They didn’t know if Nicole could give her eggs in that process. Was there a risk of passing TTP to the child?
A Little Hope
When Nicole and Kevin landed in the hospital to clear doubts, they received a little bit of good news. The doctor told them TTP wasn’t genetic and it was completely safe to pass on Nicole’s eggs to the surrogate.
When the two of them were sure, they decided that they’d like to take the surrogacy road to expand their family. One of her eggs was then frozen and all they needed was a surrogate.
Among The Friends
When all of Nicole’s cousins chose to stay out of this business, the couple had to turn towards their friends for help. Fortunately, they had a lot of them.
Many of those friends were willing to help the desperate couple but that wasn’t as easy as they had thought. The surrogate had to go through a check-up and be suitable according to the genetics of Nicole and Kevin.
Going Downhill
The couple was lucky that there were so many people willing to help them in such a difficult time. However, nothing was going to go as planned. The smooth roads to have a baby were very less.
In the process of check-up, they realized that none of their friends match the requirements and they didn’t have many options now. There were broken hearts all over again. The test was not about just physical fitness but also mental fitness. They were back to square one now.
A Dinner Gave Them Hope
The couple was invited to a dinner with their friends Shawn and Lianna Fives. Both the couples had known each other for about twenty years and were obviously close. Lianna had known about their intentions of having a baby and about their failure in the same.
The couple had known it for the last six years.
A True Friend
When Lianna first came to know about the issue Nicole was having she was in the middle of her second and third child and couldn’t help at that point. The Fives was a happy large family as they stood true to their surname.
They had five kids in the family and they had no intention of extending their family further. That dinner party changed their lives and this one was for the better.
The Shocker
During the dinner, while the four of them were seated, Lianna declared that she wanted to have more kids and this was the moment her husband was about to faint. Everyone was shocked that after having five kids, why she would want more.
That is when she clarified, “No, not for me, for you guys- I’d like to carry a child.” The couple was shocked and this was not even the complete story of that night.
Reasoning
Lianna said that ever since she came to know about the situation, she wanted to carry a baby for her, or maybe even two. However, she was waiting to complete her family first. Nicole and Kevin were surprised with Lianna’s pure intentions but they had their reservations and wanted to take time before they agreed. The final decision was still pending.
Doubts
Nicole had her doubts and she wanted to be clear to give the final word. She said, “I have never been pregnant, but have heard that there is a major bond that takes place over 9 months [of gestation]. That after 9 months to hand off the babies — even if they are not biologically yours — is too difficult for some people.”
Lianna was a close friend and she didn’t want to lose her in the process. Friends are supportive in difficult times but this friend was about to give a part of the family and that could impact their lives.
A Leap Of Faith
After all the thinking, Nicole and Kevin took the leap of faith and said ‘yes’ to Lianna’s proposal. The couple was ecstatic to get what they had always wanted and it was going to be an exciting stage of life.
Nicole said, “I don’t have a sister but I’d consider her like that. We don’t hold back, we are open, honest, and I am constantly turning to her for guidance.” It was time to implant the eggs in Lianna’s body but things didn’t go as they had thought.
Problems On The Way
As we said before, it wasn’t a smooth road; there was a problem in getting pregnant. Lianna said that taking this decision was the easiest decision of her life and she didn’t have to think twice to do this deed.
However, the first try wasn’t successful but the two couples were in it for business. They didn’t give up and were willing to give as many tries as they could. After a few tries, they had good news and the best part of the pregnancy was still not the positive strip.
Surprise Surprise
It was time for the first sonogram and both the couples were excited to see the first picture of what would be part of their family. The excitement was inexplicable and they were praying for a healthy baby so that there were no complications further.
However, things were not how they had expected. They were shocked by what they were seeing. There was not just one baby, there were two of them!
All In
Both the couples were dedicated to bringing this baby into the world. 95% of the doctor’s appointments were attended by all four of them. It was a special pregnancy and the level of excitement was beyond the sky.
The closest friends were about to share a baby but the question was would they be able to maintain this unique bond?
Lianna’s True Feelings
This was one question everyone wanted to ask and some even did ask her. Her say on this was simple and on point. She said it won’t be a trouble for her. She said for her this situation is nothing more than ‘their buns, my oven’.
The couples even got a pre-baby shoot done and in one of the pictures Nicole is holding a sign that read, “Our peas, their pod”.
The Birth
Time flew by and the D-Day came to bring happiness to their lives. February 10th, 2017 was the day Lianna gave birth to Kevin and Nicole’s baby girl and baby boy. Everything went well and the babies were healthy.
After giving birth, Lianna said, “I will always have a connection to the twins, but I had no problem with letting them go.” The gesture was beautiful and no one could forget what a friend did for the couple.
A Pregnancy Worth Remembering
It was sixth pregnancy for Lianna, so her obstetrician, Dr. Richard Klein knew her well. The doctor said that it was a fun pregnancy and fun delivery. The doctor acknowledged that this act of kindness was the most giving thing a friend could do for another friend.
The selfless act of Lianna was truly commendable and not all can do what she did.
The Babies
The parents named the kids Dominic and Luciana. After all the history, Lianna and Shawn were named as their godparents. That was an apt decision taken unanimously. After the delivery, there was a task for Kevin and Nicole. They were now parents and their journey of parenthood had started.
The dream of becoming parents was now fulfilled and the two were excited to play the most important role in their lives. However, this wasn’t the end and a lot was coming their way.
Taking Things Forward
After Nicole and Kevin had their life sorted, they wanted to encourage people to do the same deed for the people in need. It was obviously clear that if you can’t have your own babies, getting them from other alternatives can be expensive.
Nicole is currently working with local legislators and reproductive specialists in New York to make surrogacy legal in the city. And this was not all.
Pleading For Help
Along with the step of legalization, Nicole is urging other women to do what Lianna did for them. She wants other women to understand the pain of a couple who can’ conceive even after years.
The couple is grateful to Lianna and her husband and they want others to be there for their friends. She said, “After hearing our story, I hope that there are people out there that will help other couples because they changed our lives.”
The Hidden Hero
We did talk about the selfless act of Lianna but here was another hero in the story. He is running a successful production company and is a DJ. At the same time, he is working for the local fire department as a lieutenant.
He decided to be a firefighter because of an incident he witnessed as a DJ. While he was DJing at Northport Fire Department, a tragedy struck and a little boy stopped breathing. The next thing you know, Kevin was a hero.
The Next Step
When Kevin got to know about the condition of the boy, he did what a genuine human being should do and what humanity is all about. Kevin gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation and saved his life.
This incident got Kevin a nickname and he is now called DJ Medic for his heroic bravery. Adding on to his professional successes, he owns a renowned DJ and event planning company.
