World Surrogacy Day
Today is World Surrogacy Day and it is certainly a day when I want to pay homage to a wonderful woman named Deborah Bolig. Deborah was our surrogate, who helped my husband and I have our two sets of twins Kate and Max, and Kim and Jack. There are not enough words to ever really express our gratitude to Deborah Bolig.
Every time Jeff and I look at our beautiful children and hear their little feet running down the hall to our bedroom, and hear their giggles, we just hope that Deborah knows in her heart how much we truly appreciate her incredible generosity.
Jeff and I appreciate not only our surrogate, but her loving supportive husband Pete (my husband calls Pete "the unsung hero!”) and their 3 daughters. It’s a family affair really, and you’d be surprised how two families can come so close together through the process. When the first set of twins were born, Jeff and I were there in the delivery room with Pete, all of us in our green hospital scrubs, cheering on the hero of the moment Deborah.
To me the most poignant part of the experience was when Pete turned to us and said that the look on his wife’s face when the babies were handed to us was full of such total joy and happiness, that he was never more proud of his wife. Pete said that “that moment” made it all worthwhile, and that he knew then why he had been totally supportive in his wife’s desire to help other couples create families.
Later that morning when the two families stood around the rolling crib watching these two babies bundled in pink and blue blankets, I think we all were stunned by the marvel of it all. Deborah and Pete daughters, Victoria, Katie and Alexandra, along with my daughters, all took turns burping and changing and dressing the babes, it was a scene to behold.
It’s been almost ten years since Jeff and I first contacted the Center for Surrogate Parenting who matched us with Deborah and began this wonderful journey. It is a journey that provides happiness and fulfillment for all parties in the end – both the couple that wants to create a family AND the surrogate who is able to give this “gift of life.”
Joan Lunden truly exemplifies today’s modern working woman. An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, successful entrepreneur, one of America’s most recognized and trusted television personalities, this mom of seven continues to do it all. As host of Good Morning America for nearly two decades, Lunden brought insight to top issues for millions of Americans each day. The longest running host ever on early morning television, Lunden reported from 26 countries, covered 4 presidents and 5 Olympics and kept Americans up to date on how to care for their homes, their families and themselves.