When Alice Hohenhaus, 25, was just four-years-old, she was diagnosed with leukaemia.
Despite going into remission at eight-years-old, she relapsed at nine and full body radiation meant she would later struggle to have children due to scar tissue.
Much to her shock, Alice fell pregnant naturally when she was 23, but tragically lost her little boy at 15 weeks – doctors advising her that complications with her uterus meant she would never be able to carry a baby to full term.
But Alice’s mother, Theresa Hohenhaus, from Ipswich, Queensland, offered to step in as a surrogate for her daughter and keep her dreams of having a family alive.
‘Alice already had the embryos and I thought “why not?”,’ Theresa, 46, told Daily Mail Australia
‘Alice already had the embryos and I thought “why not?”,’ Theresa, 46, told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I thought I was too old and Alice didn’t want me to do it at first but I had already almost lost Alice twice before – she hemorrhaged during her pregnancy and it was touch and go there for a while.
‘Making her happy and seeing her happy now is worth it.’
‘I said to Alice before I found out that I thought I was pregnant because I felt really sick. The next week we found out it was positive,’ Theresa said
Theresa, who is a mother-of-five and has fostered 50 children, became pregnant almost immediately.
‘I said to Alice before I found out that I thought I was pregnant because I felt really sick. The next week we found out it was positive,’ Theresa said.
‘It was amazing and every appointment and scan from then on we went to together and cried together… we are very very close.’
From the word go, Theresa saw the growing baby as nothing but her grandson and gave birth to him on June 2nd.
I was worried about how I would cope when I had him but I had him naturally and afterwards they placed him on my tummy and I had the first cuddle while Alice cut the cord,’ Theresa said
‘I would have to say it was the best experience of my whole life,’ Theresa said.
‘I was worried about how I would cope when I had him but I had him naturally and afterwards they place him on my tummy and I had the first cuddle while Alice cut the cord.
‘It was so beautiful. I was worried about handing him over at first and Alice was worried about how she would cope seeing me in so much pain. But we both made it through and it is a moment I will honestly cherish until I die.’
– DailyMail