Meet Phillip + Stephanie
Our Story
Phillip and I grew up in the same school system since K5, but we didn’t know each other well until 8th grade when we ended up in the same homeroom. Our 8th grade year ended up changing the trajectory of both of our lives as Phillip asked me to be his girlfriend. We are both so thankful to have been together ever since! The saying goes that opposites attract, but we always joke about how in reality we are very similar. We are so blessed to have had the opportunity to fall in love while also growing up together during such formative years. We got married in 2019, shortly after our 8 year dating anniversary. We have 3 bernedoodles, Paisley Grace; Autumn Rae; and Charlotte Rose, who fill our lives with an endless amount of joy.
We have chosen surrogacy due to several medical complications. I was officially diagnosed with a connective tissue disease called Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome (EDS) my freshman year of college. The EDS diagnosis provided a lot of answers to years of chronic, widespread pain, but has also allowed me better insight into actively managing my health. Simply put, my body is hypermobile and stretches/moves more than it should, which in turn causes pain. Along with EDS, I also have POTS, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and PCOS.
About 3 years ago we met with a perinatologist, geneticist, and reproductive endocrinologist to explore our options in regards to having children. My body is already too lax in each of my connective tissues, and pregnancy would further exacerbate the laxcity. EDS causes slow/difficult healing, and once something stretches further than intended, my body will easily go to that stretched position again, allowing for easy subluxations and dislocations. We were presented with a host of serious, lifelong complications to carefully consider as possibilities of our future should I carry a baby. There are also several complications associated with EDS and pregnancy itself that would make any pregnancy considered high risk. Additionally, I have a 15+ year history of not ovulating without medications due to PCOS, adding yet another layer of complication. After several discussions with medical providers and a significant amount of thought and prayer, Phillip and I have made the decision to pursue surrogacy to avoid physical complications that may leave me unable to be the mother I desire to be.
Through intentional work to better understand and strengthen my body, as well as finding excellent physicians to work alongside me, I am to a place where daily pain is minimal and easily manageable. Phillip and I are so excited to fulfill our dream of becoming parents and are so grateful for the consideration of walking through this journey together!
We are homebodies at heart and spend most of our free time with our dogs. I am an avid reader, and Phillip can often be found working on different projects around the house or playing games with friends. We both work from home and absolutely love that we get to be around each other all of the time! Phillip enjoys cooking up a great home cooked meal, and I have fallen in love with baking the past couple of years. We have found such a sweet community within our church and enjoy spending time with friends while doing our best to love others well! We can’t wait to continue growing together as we grow our family!
Meet Phillip
About Phillip (In Stephanie’s words)—Phillip is my best friend in every way. He is a natural caretaker for those he loves and is a consistent rock in both the calm and through a storm. Phillip takes pride in making delicious dinners at home (he is an excellent cook!), being the best dog dad he can be, and his lawn! Phillip takes football season very seriously; he has favorite teams but is happy to watch any and all games. He is introverted and takes a little while to open up with others, but once he gets to know you he is an easy person to talk about anything with; a good joke goes a long way!
Meet Stephanie
About Stephanie (In Phillipʻs words)—Stephanie is my whole world. Since I have known her, she has approached everything with a positive attitude and a desire to help those around her. Stephanie goes out of her way to be a light to those in our community, sending flowers for a hard day, or baking sweet treats just as a sweet gift. She is a big time reader, consuming hundreds of books every year, probably since she doesn’t share my love of football and video games! Stephanie's thoughtful personality has been vital in pushing me out of my comfort zone and getting us more connected with our community, something that has brought us joy and connection that makes us who we are today.
Why Surrogacy?
Stephanie has several health conditions that leave pregnancy at a high risk for causing life long complications. These health conditions also pose several risks to pregnancy itself.
Fun Facts
We have 3 dogs, love game night, our favorite vacations usually involve the beach or a mountain house, and our favorite show is Below Deck
Occupation: Phillip is a data analyst and Stephanie is a financial analyst
Favorite Team: Phillip loves the Clemson Tigers (Stephanie does not follow any sports teams)
Clinic you are using: Fertility Center of the Carolinas