Member News
Insights from our Members
Woman, 61, gives birth to grandchild
For years, Sara Connell tried to get pregnant and faced one disappointment after another. When Connell discovered that she wasn't ovulating, she underwent fertility treatment. She got pregnant and delivered stillborn twins. She got pregnant again and miscarried.
The 35-year-old Chicago woman and her husband Bill Connell were emotionally exhausted. What to do? They didn't want to adopt. They wanted a biological child.
Enter Kristine Casey, Sara Connell's 61-year-old mom.
With her daughter's eggs and the sperm of her son-in-law, Casey got pregnant through in vitro fertilization (I.V.F.) and last Wednesday she became the oldest woman in Chicago to give birth.
Sara Connell stood by her mother as doctors delivered Finnean Connell by cesarean section at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
"It's such a miracle," Sara Connell told the Chicago Tribune.
With more and more doctors performing I.V.F., gestational surrogacy (when the surrogate mother is carrying a child genetically unrelated to her) is becoming more common. And people such as Casey are pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
This isn't the first time a grandmother has given birth to her own grandchild in the United States.
A 55-year-old woman from Virginia gave birth to her daughter's triplets in 2004. Ann Stolper, 59, of Florida, carried and delivered her daughter's twins in 2007. Stolper's daughter had a hysterectomy at age 25 after being diagnosed with cervical cancer.
The exact number of grandmothers birthing grandchildren is unknown, but infertile couples are turning to relatives more and more to avoid the expense and legal difficulties that can arise when an unrelated woman is the surrogate.
Casey's situation is unique because she's 61 years old, and older woman face more risks in pregnancy. Some fertility clinics won't accept gestational surrogates over 55 years old.
But, according to the Chicago Tribune, Casey was accepted by the Reproductive Medicine Institute in Evanston, Ill. She underwent a series of tests and doctors approved her for the procedure.
Casey's health was excellent throughout her pregnancy, according to one of her doctors, Dr. Alan Peaceman, chief of maternal-fetal medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "It takes a significant commitment to be a surrogate in any circumstance," Peaceman told the Tribune. "To take on this type of physical burden at this age is not anything anybody should take lightly."
" Women of the World has opened up the world for me. As a result of speaking on the WOTW panel on violence last July, together with other opporunities, I have been invited to attend the 55th Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations which begins this Monday, February 21, 2011. Women - and men - from sixty+ countries will gather to explore ways to improve the educational, economic, health, safety and political well-being of females worldwide. It is the opporunity of a lifetime and WOTW helped plant the seed.
Thanks again to you and your dynamic organization as we work to make a difference. It is a privilege to be a WOTW member." - Cheryl Jefferson
The Voices in Your Head
In 2010 I started a new company, maintained my consulting practice, taught a new undergraduate class and traveled to seven new countries. It was a busy year.
At times it was scary. Entering Dubai for the first time - alone - was daunting. I had done too much research and was petrified as I entered the county’s long customs line at midnight worried that my numerous prescription drugs would land me in the clink. My wild imagination pictured the scene from Midnight Express in a dark, dingy cell - you get the idea. I was absolutely exuberant when I went through the check-in in about 20 seconds with no questions other than, “are you traveling on business?” Voila!
I also learned that no matter how far I traveled in the world, it’s such a small place, so connected by people who have the same basic human needs and who have the same types of experiences. I was shocked to meet a lovely woman in advertising in India that shared almost the identical work experiences and career path as I did. We laughed at how we both made the decision to leave the corporate world at almost the same time and yet were still consulting for the very same people we had worked with before we left. Ironic.
It’s always frightening to make changes, take on new roles, and go places we haven’t been before. That moment of anxiety quickly fades when you realize you’re doing it and you accomplish your goals. We often put ourselves in buckets or roles. I was a “media director” a “boss,” a “woman.” Thinking I could be an “entrepreneur,” “business owner,” “professor,” “networker” seemed daunting. The biggest revelation of 2011 was that I could be anything I wanted to be, and do anything I wanted to do - if I put my mind to it.
When you stop and really think about it, we are constantly surrounded by negative influences. You know the ones that help validate all those voices in your head. Whether it is friends, family or co-workers. Everyone seems to want to proclaim his or her misery and wallow in it. Guess what that produces? More misery and more complaining.
In 2011 I have made myself the promise to not associate with negativity. That means not adding to conversations that continue to spiral downward. I want to continue to learn more about the world and all it has to offer. I choose to be a positive influence for change in whatever way that unfolds.
For me, I’m hoping it means more travel, getting involved in political discussions, and expanding my creativity. That should be plenty to keep me busy.
What about you? Are you going to let the voices in your head win? Or is 2011 going to be the year that you take charge of your life and follow your dreams. I encourage you to quiet just one of those little voices. Once you do the others will soon follow.
Sue Reddel is the co-owner and Chief Ambassador of PoshPorts.com a travel and lifestyle brand that brings together the best of world culture, cuisine, travel and entertainment. Sue is also an Adjunct Professor in the Communications Department at Roosevelt University. Sue enjoys learning, teaching, networking, traveling and sharing information with others.
