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Help the Black's grow their family through Surrogacy!

  • IVF

      12 June 2024
    Posted by: Candice Black
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    We are creeping closer to the halfway mark of the quarantine period for our embryos. It has been a long 6 weeks with lots of waiting and time filling to pass the time a little faster. Once the embryos come out of quarantine they will stay frozen until we have worked out a date that best suits Dani and James and us to try for our first transfer.

    Thank you for the continued support in our journey hopefully Baby Black will be here soon.

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  • Exciting Update!

      16 March 2024

    Thanks so much to you all for your patience waiting for an update on where we are at with our surrogacy journey.

    Although it’s been a lengthy process so far, Candice, Andy, James and I are so excited to share that this week we received the confirmation that our application to the Ethics committee was accepted and Candice and Andy can now start preparing for their round of IVF which will be able to be completed in the coming months! So exciting!

    From here, once the embryo is created, there will be a 3 month quarantine period before we can attempt to implant and hope for a positive pregnancy test. Super exciting news and we are so happy to be one big step closer to our end goal!

    Once again a huge thank you all for your love, support, donations and kind words. Every one of them has mean a lot to us!

    Dani, Candice and Andy

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  • We are still here, just busy making progress in the background..

      1 December 2023

    Hi everyone,

    Just wanted to quickly check in and let you know that although this process takes much longer than we anticipated, with sometimes longs wait times for appointments, we are making great progress. Counselling, medical tests, lawyers meeting etc have all been underway and we are really happy with how we are progressing, just taking it all as it comes.

    Your donations, kind words and checking in have all been so appreciated! Thanks heaps for being here for the journey 🥰

    We look forward to sharing more about this in the new year 😍

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  • We are making progress!

      25 September 2023

    Just wanted to share some exciting news that James and I had our first counselling session today (with FA’s Dunedin Counsellor) and have our next one booked in for next month.

    I’ve also done my bloods and a few other tests to ensure that all is well to proceed.

    Fertility Associates in chch is very busy and booked up but Candice and Andy have both of their counselling sessions booked and we will have one all together sometime after that.

    The journey to surrogacy is lengthly and requires us to submit an application to ECART (Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology) for approval before we can start. completing all the required things alone takes a minimum of 3-4 months to complete. We are smashing through that list!

    Thanks so much once again for sharing this space with us and supporting Candice, Andy and I through this journey.

    There is so many crazy and out dated things with our surrogacy laws but I’ll leave you with this part that just blows my mind…

    Candice and Andy form an Embryo (100% their biological baby) and as the surrogate I have full legal rights to the baby if I was to change my mind (don’t worry, I won’t) but what’s just as crazy…on babies 1st birth certificate I will be their birth mother and James (or the surrogates partner) will be listed as the birth father! Isn’t that just mad.

    Candice and Andy then go through the processes to adopt THEIR baby and will get a new birth certificate although this takes 4-6 months. Such a crazy journey! ❤️

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  • THANK YOU

      11 September 2023

    Short wee update to say a HUGE thank you to all of you for sharing this space with us. Your kind, encouraging words, well wishes and donations have completely overwhelmed us! We are so grateful that we are over 1/3 towards our goal.

    A few people have asked what stage we are at with this journey. We are excited to say that we are currently working through (quite a long) list of to do’s with our first counselling sessions booked in. We are also waiting for an appointment me for to do all the medical tests needed to progress too.

    We will continue to keep you updated but for now just know how much each and every donation has meant to us! ❤️

    To follow Candice in this journey head over to her instagram @candicreativenz

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  • Their story in my words Part 3

      2 September 2023
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    After some time Candice and Andy were told the sad news that the safest option for Candices health and the best chance for a baby would be to find a surrogate to carry their baby and to do a round of IVF to create an embryo. While this is a difficult journey emotionally, it is the best and safest option.

    One huge challenge to this, is the financial toll it will take. From the advice they have received, they will need approximately $30,000 to cover a round of IVF, the cost of lawyers, counselling sessions and all the medial testes needed. This will be a long and lengthy journey which I can excitedly share has already started! Candice and Andy have met with Fertility Associates and have more appointments in the coming months.

    You maybe wondering how I fit in? Well I am going to be their surrogate and have fully committed to be on their journey with them. Right now I want nothing more than to see their family grow and for them to have a healthy, happy baby in their home.

    I know with or without your support Candice and Andy will make this happen with talks of re mortgaging their home and Candice using her talent to paint artwork and sell on her instagram page @candicreativenz However, I ask if you have anything to spare whether it’s small or big, it would go a long way to supporting them and their dream. I know I have been so lucky not to have faced the challenges that they have and I’m forever grateful for the blessing of 2 healthy girls. It’s now their turn.

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  • Their story in my words part 2

      2 September 2023
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    Thorough testing offered once Hudson had passed they discovered Candice has a medical condition called Antiphospholipid Syndrome which adds complications to her ability to grow her babies to full term. With this in mind the medical professionals helped to plan a pregnancy for Candice and Andy that would include daily injections and careful monitoring to give baby the best chance of making it to at least 30 weeks. The careful monitoring and medication were going well until at 25 weeks it became safer for Angus to be born, than to stay inside his comfy home.

    Candice and Andy were brave, resilient and incredibly courageous as they stayed by Angus bedside as he spent 104 days in the Christchurch Hospital NICU unit. He knew when his parents were there, holding him and giving skin to skin as his stats instantly improved. They put everything on hold to give everything to Angus and his chance at survival. He accomplished many feats and gave hope to his parents although this journey was always going to be long and tough.

    All of a sudden Angus’ health declined and after a long battle his parents held him for the last time and said goodbye as he passed away after 104 days giving it everything he had.Angus not only broke their hearts, but also those of us who know Candice, Andy and how incredible they are as parents. Attending Angus’ memorial service was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

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  • Their story in my words part 1

      2 September 2023
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    Sadly my beautiful friends haven’t had the easiest journey after making the decision to start trying for a family back in September 2020. While the last three years have brought excitement, hope and joy, it has been quickly followed up by immense heart break and pain no parent should have to go through.

    Candice and Andy began trying for a family over three years ago and discovered that their journey wasn’t going to be ‘textbook’…month after month, the negative tests started to take a toll when they finally fell pregnant. Thinking this was their chance, they were excited to share the news with their close family and friends before they sadly suffered a miscarriage and then another. Desperate for solutions to why this was so difficult they were referred to experts for tests to help. Although they deep down knew something wasn’t right, the experts couldn’t find anything wrong and suggested they keep trying.

    They were ecstatic when they fell pregnant with Hudson and he brought them so much hope as they ticked off the first 12, then 20 week milestones. They had shared the news with all of their family and friends and Candices growing bump was a reminder that having a baby was finally their reality. Unfortunately, Candice and Andy were hit with a devastating blow when Hudson passed away in utero at 24 weeks. Their whole world was tipped upside down and they grieved the loss of Hudson, their first born son.

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