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Woman’s Sister Offers To Be Surrogate To Help Grant Dying Husband’s Last Wish

NewsPublished Dec 9, 2019
By Kaitlin Stanford
Jennifer and Jonny McMillanJennifer McMillan/Facebook

Jennifer and Jonny McMillan have faced their fair share of obstacles in their last decade together. The couple from Belfast, Ireland, spent nine years trying to conceive a child to no avail. Then, earlier this year, a doctor gave them more devastating news: Jonny has a rare and incurable form of cancer on his brain and spinal chord, and not much time left to live. Now, as the couple face their last remaining time together, they're more determined than ever to have a child together -- and Jennifer's sister hopes she can help make that happen.

Jennifer's sister Christina, 40, has offered to be a surrogate for the couple, according to the Daily Mail.

But in order to do so, they have to raise the £6,000 ($7,795) needed for fertility treatment, which could take some time. 

Adding to their hurry is that they don't exactly know how much time they have.

"Jonny refuses to ask how much time he's got left, but we know the clock is ticking," Jennifer told the Daily Mail

The 37-year-old has one child from a previous relationship. Still, she's not ready to give up on her dream of having a child with her now-husband.

"If we want Jonny to be at the birth of his child, to change nappies, get up for night feeds and push a swing in the park, then every day counts," she continued.

And this isn't just about Jennifer's dream of becoming a mother again -- it's also about Jonny's desire to become a father before he dies.-placeholder
And this isn't just about Jennifer's dream of becoming a mother again -- it's also about Jonny's desire to become a father before he dies.
GoFundMe

And this isn't just about Jennifer's dream of becoming a mother again -- it's also about Jonny's desire to become a father before he dies.

"I desperately want to give him chance to be a daddy before he dies," Jennifer told the newspaper. "It'll be his lasting legacy."

Jonny has already been something of a father figure to Jennifer's son Jay, who has been in his life since the child was 4. But carrying on his own name and blood -- especially now, as he looks toward the end of his life -- has been a desire he can't quite push away.

"Jonny has always been a brilliant step-dad,' Jennifer shared. "He used to spend hours painstakingly building Lego sets -- only for Jay to come along and smash them up!

"One Christmas we bought Jay a bike, and Jonny took him straight to our local park to teach him how to ride it," she continued. "As he got older they went on fishing trips together -- although Jay always moaned about the lack of WiFi by the river!"

The couple tried IVF treatments in the past but were unsuccessful.

Unable to afford more rounds, they decided to keep trying on their own, and let nature take control. ("I always say that if something's meant for you, then it'll come your way," Jennifer explained.)

However, in 2014, shortly after their honeymoon, Jonny started exhibiting severe headaches. The next two months were spent filled with pain, and he was in and out of doctor's offices.

"Over the space of 13 weeks he went to our GP 27 times, but the doctors put it down to the stress and the excitement of our wedding, or a virus, doling out painkillers and even antidepressants," Jennifer recalled. "Jonny was desperate for help. He even told me one day that he thought he'd got a brain tumour, but I told him not to be over dramatic. He was only 33."

As it turned out, Jonny's concerns proved prophetic. By November, doctors told them they'd found a large mass on his brain.

"Jonny hardly batted an eyelid; he said he'd been expecting it," Jennifer shared. "He'd been right all along."

Surgery helped remove the cancer for some time, but in 2017, it returned. Once again, they turned to surgery, and Jonny was declared to be in remission. 

However, in July 2019, the couple received the news they'd been dreading: The cancer had returned, but this time was forming four new tumors on his spinal chord, and they weren't operable.

"The doctor said Jonny's cancer was like a weed," Jennifer recalled. "Every time you pull a weed out of the ground, it grows back again somewhere else.

"They would continue to monitor the cancer, and he may be offered chemotherapy or more surgery if any of the tumours became operable," she continued. "But he couldn't be cured. They told us to go home and enjoy life while we could; make memories."

One of those memories, they hoped, would be to welcome a child of their own. But even they knew the prospect of that was slim.

That's when Jennifer's sister Christina Beattie jumped in with an offer they couldn't refuse.

"I told them I'd have their baby," she told the Daily Mail. "I didn't hesitate; it just came out. As soon as Jonny said he wanted a baby, I knew I wanted to help them. For me, it's the greatest gift I could give."

Using Jennifer's eggs and Jonny's sperm, Christina was more than willing to be their surrogate. 

"I've got four kids of my own so we know my body can carry children," she shared. "It seemed like the best and quickest way to success."

The McMillans were stunned -- and over the moon -- by the offer, but the issue of money was hard to ignore.

That's when they launched a GoFundMe campaign, in hopes of making their baby dreams a reality -- hopefully sooner, rather than later.

So far, the couple has raised £1,505 of their £6,000 goal, and are hopeful that by sharing their story, more kind strangers may donate.

Though the couple faces a difficult battle, Christina is confident she can at least bring them one last gift of hope.

"Jonny has a bumpy road ahead, but children bring such joy," she told the Daily Mail. "If there was a baby there would always be something for them to look forward to. Jonny is such a good man, he's been a great step-father to Jay and has made Jennifer so happy. He deserves to have a child of his own."

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