It Was Finally Happening
It had been a long and difficult journey and now, after all this time, their dreams were finally coming true. They held each other’s hands, smiling at each other as they anxiously waited in the hospital, ready to give birth.
It felt like it was too good to be true. They couldn’t believe that they were this lucky, the two sisters were about to give birth to twins at the same time! Everyone around them thought that it was a coincidence, but they had planned it all along.
Close To Giving Up
Annie and Joby Johnson had gone through five long and difficult years of trying for a baby. They had been through the most expensive fertility treatments, and now they were close to giving up.
After they went through their first round of treatment, their hopes were high as they waited for the call that would change their lives for the better. Eventually, the call came, but they didn’t receive the news they were hoping for.
Annie And Chrissy
Annie and Chrissy had been close for their entire lives, everyone knew that they were like two peas in a pod. But Annie wasn’t handling the bad news well at all, that was why she decided to ask her sister for help.
When Annie’s treatments failed, her sister was always there to comfort her. Chrissy stayed with her throughout the worst period of her life. She was there to wipe every tear and to provide the emotional support she needed. But she had a plan up her sleeve.
She Gave Up
“In 2008, we tried, in 2009 also; in 2010 was the in-vitro, and on paper, everything looked great, but we got the phone call with the bad news that I was not pregnant after that round, and that was the hardest call ever to receive” Annie has said about the situation.
Eventually, she knew that it was time for her to give up on her dream of starting her own family. Maybe she wasn’t destined to have children of her own and she wasn’t going to fight it any longer. But little did she know that something unexpected was just around the corner.
Helping Hand
After the final in-vitro treatment failed, Annie was beyond devastated. She had wanted children since she was a little girl, but it seemed that she just wasn’t made to conceive.
Her sister came over, and Annie had to share the latest round of bad news. Just then, Chrissy knew that it was time for her to take matters into her own hands. She decided to approach Annie with an interesting proposition.
They Shared Everything
“If there was just anything I could do to help, you know, I would do it,” Chrissy told her sister. Annie had always known that her sister would do just about anything for her.
While growing up together, they had always shared everything. But despite this, Annie couldn’t quite wrap her head around what Chrissy was suggesting. Surely she couldn’t go through with this, right?
It Came Naturally To Her
Annie had trouble conceiving, but Chrissy never did. She had her own family of two loving sons and the prefect husband.
Motherhood had come to her naturally and she had given birth to her sons without any complications. Chrissy knew that she was the lucky one between the two of them. She hated what her sister was going through, she always felt that no one deserved to go through infertility. So what was she planning?
Trying Again
Chrissy spoke to her sister and convinced her to try just one more time. Just a few weeks later, the doctor implanted two embryos, and Chrissy knew that it would work this time.
And by some miracle, the treatment was a success! To make it even better, Chrissy was pregnant too! It was a dream come true for both Chrissy and Annie and it all seemed like a coincidence, but it wasn’t.
More Good News
The sisters attended their first ultrasound together and the doctor was incredulous when he shared the news. “They found one in me, and then they moved over and saw another little sac with another flickering heartbeat, and we knew that we still had Chrissy left to go,” Annie recalls.
Chrissy and Annie were both pregnant, and they were both expecting twins!
Secret Pact
Chrissy had experienced pregnancy twice before, so she knew that she had to let Annie take the spotlight this time. After all, Annie was finally pregnant after five years of constantly trying.
But the fact that Chrissy and Annie were both pregnant at the same time and they were both expecting twins wasn’t the only crazy coincidence. Before long, their secret pact would unravel.
It Was Finally Time
The big day finally arrived and Chrissy went into labor. She couldn’t wait to meet her new babies. When Chrissy finally got a chance to meet the twins, tears streamed down her cheeks.
Annie was right there with her, just as she always is. However, she realized something odd was happening. She attributed it to nervousness because the entire day had been so thrilling, but she was mistaken.
A Horrible Sensation
Annie experienced a searing ache bolt through her body as she assisted her sister with her twins while she was healing. She had never before felt anything like the excruciating aching in her hips.
“This can’t be happening,” she exclaimed as she ran to get a doctor. However, it was true.
A Miracle
When the doctor examined Annie, he was astounded. She was going into labor!. Within a few hours of one another, Annie and Chrissy both gave birth to two sets of twins on the same day. Annie gave birth to two stunning girls, while Chrissy gave birth to two happy baby boys.
That day, four children were born. But when their father visited his children, he insisted on knowing the truth.
Trying To Help Her
After Annie's final in vitro cycle ended in failure, Chrissy came up with a plan. If Annie would give it another go, she contacted her and volunteered to be her surrogate.
Annie was initially hesitant. She could not subject her sister to such suffering. But she made the decision to try it after speaking with Joby about it.
What They Planned
Annie truly wanted to help her sister. She escorted her to the procedure where two of Chrissy's embryos were implanted. By chance, Chrissy was also in the proper stage of her cycle, so the medical professional also implanted two of Annie and Joby's embryos.
The sisters decided to keep it quiet until they were certain that Annie's pregnancy would succeed because they weren't sure whether it would.
Successful
They knew that all four babies were technically Annie's, and they were technically quadruplets by the time the big day arrived, and both of the sisters went into labor at the same time.
The sisters were unable to contain their cries of joy since they were so overjoyed. Chrissy said, “We’re very thankful for what she did for us. We’re very grateful and thankful that they’re all here.”
How Did She Do It?
“Trying to get at least one baby, we are just so excited to take all four of them home and they’re all healthy,” Annie shared with the Daily Mail
She had been attempting to have a child for such a long time when she was finally graced with twins! She was still in disbelief. However, how did Annie persuade her to try her scheme?
Support
“I didn’t know if I could even be a surrogate or care for the baby but I did some research and found out I would be able to do so, and put it out there just as a consideration for the future,” Chrissy said.
“If it ended up that Annie was not able to carry a baby then that is what was preventing them from having a child then I would do that for them.”
Father Of Four
When Chrissy Johnson's husband and the father of all four children, Joby Johnson, learned about Annie's offer to serve as a surrogate, he decided to accept right away.
But what he hadn't anticipated was that all four embryos took. They were forewarned by the doctor, but they disregarded it.
Relief
"I was relieved, more than anything, that the babies were still developing," Annie stated. "My husband, I think, was thinking more down the road of what we were going to do with four babies."
Thankfully, everything turned out just right in the end. And fortunately, Annie and Chrissie were only seven homes apart.
They Had To Listen
"The doctor made sure that everyone was OK with the possibility of four babies because it was possible," Annie shared.
"But, for us, after trying for so long, we were just trying to increase our chances of getting at least one." And they learned the news nine days later. The embryos implanted successfully!
Staying Safe
Annie and Chrissie initially resisted having a party. For Chrissy, things had previously not always gone according to plan. They wanted to stay away from heartbreak and more false hopes.
But after a couple months had passed and their stomachs had begun to grow in unison, they were finally able to feel the joy of the impending births.
Double Pregnancies
“I remember saying the day when Dr. Williams told us that we have a possibility of having two twin pregnancies,” Joby shared.
“We said: ‘We haven’t been able to get pregnant for five years, so if the outcome of this is two twin pregnancies giving us quadruplets, bring it on.’ If the worst problem he can give us was now there would be four babies, we were ready."
A Helping Hand
Due to their close proximity, Annie and Chrissie were able to encourage one another while they went through pregnancy together.
Since Annie had been pregnant before, she guided her sister through each stage of pregnancy. To help out when the babies arrived, the parents of Chrissy and Annie moved in with Chrissy and Joby.
They Were Prepared
When the twins arrived, the Johnstons had everything prepared. When the children were old enough to begin sleeping in their cribs, they temporarily converted the large living room of their home into a nursery.
"My sister was carrying the two boys, and she delivered first, so I could be there in the room for her when she had them," Annie shared. "Two hours later, at 9:30 a.m., I delivered the girls."
One Big Happy Family
Haddie, Gracie, Charlie, and Tommy all arrived in the world in perfect health."We still can't believe it sometimes," Annie said.
These adorable youngsters will have way too much fun as they mature, and one day their parents will share with them the bizarre tale of the familial love that gave birth to their existence.
More Hands
Chrissie moved in with Annie after the babies were allowed to return home. The fact that Chrissie and Annie shared the breast milk they produced and used bottles to feed all four babies provided for "additional hands to help," as Annie put it.
The babies will move upstairs as soon as they're old enough to the nursery prepared with such love. However, in the meantime...
One In A Million
It will be a joy for them to spend every day with each and every baby. After giving up on trying in vitro, Annie and Joby were shocked when their cycle came back positive.
This family is unique, and their tale couldn't be more amazing. Consider the likelihood that the sisters would go into labor on the same day and all four embryos implanting successfully.
Everything She Ever Wanted
Chrissy was finally able to realize her ambition of starting a large family of her own after experiencing profound loss and sadness for five years. After the first few frantic weeks, Annie returned to her house, which was only seven homes away.
Due to their close physical and emotional bond, the sisters spend most of their time taking care of their four miracle children.
She Was Happy
Chrissy was fortunate to have a sister who was understanding of her situation and determined to take action.
The painful impact of not being able to have the child you've always desired is experienced by many. Chrissy had been feeling inadequate, sorry, and ashamed. Sadly, Kayla Jones, a woman, is also very familiar with these emotions.
Not A Mistake
A knife could have been used to cut through the tension in the couple's bathroom. For a few moments, Kayla stood in silence, unable to breathe. After staring in utter disbelief at the pregnancy test for more than a minute, her husband came up behind her.
It wasn’t a mistake. There were two distinct pink lines and they knew what that meant. She said, turning to face her husband, "She's pregnant."
Her Dreams
29-year-old Although Kayla Jones had always dreamed of having a large family, but she had realized at the age of merely 17 that she was unlikely to ever become a mother.
In 2012, she and Cody got married and moved to Texarkana, Arkansas. They made the decision to try since they had two dogs and desired to build a family.
Medical Advice
Months passed with no sign of Kayla and Cody's attempts to start a family, despite their best efforts. There was a problem.
At last, Kayla realized it was time to confront the truth and enlist professional assistance. But neither of them could have foreseen how difficult things would eventually become.
Not What She Wanted To Hear
Kayla got the bad news when she went to see her physicians and informed them she wanted to start trying. Her hopes of having children were dashed when the physicians validated what she already knew to be true.
Kayla was upset when she received the lab results. The cause of all their issues was something she had endured during her adolescence.
It Was Hard
The Joneses struggled to conceive naturally despite having a strong desire to start a family.
Kayla was devastated and feel awful for not being able to provide her husband with the family he truly deserved. Eventually, she summoned the strength to initiate the tough subject she had always wanted to avoid by inviting Cody to the table.
The Talk
The couple had seemed to have everything going their way: they had met the person they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with, they had gotten married...It was painfully clear that the final piece of the puzzle remained unsolved.
Kayla had tragically underwent a treatment at the age of 17 that would make it extremely challenging for her to get pregnant.
Alternatives
They discussed the possibility of adopting a child, but Kayla truly wanted to have a child that was biologically hers.
The unfortunate pair began to consider their alternative possibilities as they grew frantic and dejected, yet they still had faith. They opted to look into adoption first. But after doing some researching, they discovered another another barrier standing in the way of them starting a family.
A Harsh Reality
The costs associated with adoption were so exorbitant that Cody and Kayla could never afford it. They knew that adoption was no longer an option, but they were not ready to give up just yet.
They also discussed the possibility of doing IVF, but given the cost of adoption, who knows what IVF would cost! Would Kayla’s condition prevent them from doing IVF?
The Procedure That Changed It All
“At the age of 17, I had a partial hysterectomy. Doctors found a tumor that was believed to be cancerous taking over my uterus,” Kayla explained.
“My uterus was removed, and the biopsy came back benign. My ovaries did not have to be removed so I am still able to have a child biologically mine, but I am unable to carry the child myself.” The couple started to consider their final choice, surrogacy.
Gratitude
Kayla felt quite fortunate to still have healthy ovaries. But after several trials with several potential surrogates, nothing was successful.
Several surrogacy options failed, so the couple moved closer to home to find a surrogate. It was unacceptable to Kayla's mother-in-law, Patty Resecker.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
