Lori Reyes of Riverview found out several years ago that her sister may not be able to have a baby. Reyes got to thinking that she would be up for serving as a surrogate for her sister and carrying her sister’s baby if she was never able to get pregnant.
Her sister eventually was able to get pregnant and have a baby, but Reyes never stopped thinking about helping someone as a surrogate.
So, five years ago, she got connected through a surrogacy agency to a couple looking to have a baby, and they lived 5,000 miles away in Argentina.
“Surrogacy was still heavy on my heart, and I knew I wanted to pursue it further,” Reyes said. “My husband agreed, so that’s when we began our journey into the surrogacy process with an agency. Soon, we were matched with another family that would forever change our lives, as well as theirs.”
As time passed, Reyes FaceTimed, called and messaged with the couple in Argentina. “More and more, and became very close with each other,” Reyes said. “It was like we knew each other our entire lives, and I knew this experience would be amazing.”
In September 2017, it was confirmed that Reyes was pregnant, and on April 24, 2018, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.
“The entire pregnancy and birth were amazing in every way, and I could not have been happier seeing her parents love her the way they did.”
Almost immediately, the couple asked if Reyes would be willing to try again.
“Although I loved the thought of their sweet baby girl having a sibling, I politely declined,” Reyes said. “They understood the toll it takes and pursued other potential surrogates. After seeing their heartbreak over and over during the next few years, I finally decided I could try again for them. They are like family, after all.”
After a few failed attempts, it was confirmed that Reyes was pregnant again in August 2022, this time with twins, a boy and a girl.
“Everybody was beyond excited, especially their now-4-year-old daughter,” Reyes said. “She was finally becoming a big sister, and her parents were finally able to complete their family they always dreamed of. The pregnancy was very good the entire time, and I gave birth to two healthy babies on March 13, 2023, just before my 40th birthday. I am so thankful God used me in such a big way to help them become parents. Bringing three babies into the world for somebody else was such a blessing for me.”
