Shannon’s Mission
I can typically tell in the first few minutes after meeting the new surrogate mom who her couple will be, even before reading through their profile completely. But in Shannon’s case, I knew after only speaking to her on the phone! She can definitely be described as someone whose heart is worn on her sleeve. Her true desire to help a Couple in this extraordinary way was evident. But then I read her profile and she wrote that she was not interested in working with an international IP. But the perfect match was an international IP. I wasn’t sure if she would consider it. So, I called her and only asked that she trust me enough to read a profile. The next morning, the first message I heard was from Shannon, barely able to speak as she couldn’t stop crying. It was clear that she agreed with me that this Couple would be her mission. I called her and we cried together (Shannon does that to you!) and then we all started an incredible journey together.
As can happen in the process, it was not an easy road. It was a year before we actually received a positive result. Each delay or negative result, Shannon handled with grace. She and Dennis gave her Couple unwavering support. Their bond grew stronger over the many months and they clearly had formed a real friendship. They shared celebrations for birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas and by the second year they were doing it all again. I imagine they will continue to have contact on all of these special days for many, many years to come. I love and respect all of my surrogate mothers, but when I personally manage a case and literally go through all the emotion, up and down, with them, a special bond occurs between me and them too.
When we finally confirmed Shannon was pregnant, I vividly remember having mixed feelings. I was thrilled beyond words that this Couple was finally going to have the family that they dreamed of, but this also meant that our journey would have an end date. Thankfully, the pregnancy was “easy” or at least Shannon made carrying twins look easy. She glided through the next 7 1/2 months, almost to 38 weeks, which is incredible for twins. For all her efforts and Dennis’ incredible support throughout the process, they deserved life-long recognition, so their Couple gave the children their names. On December 14, 2008, Inez Shannon and Angel Dennis were born weighing 6lb 6oz and 7lb 2oz, respectively.
