A woman who had her womb removed after cancer “ravaged” her body has shared that her dream of having a baby has come true thanks to a stranger online.
Growing up, Hayley Smith dreamed about becoming a mum and when she tied the knot with her childhood sweetheart, Paul, 36, the pair began trying right away.
Sadly, the 35-year-old suffered a miscarriage and despite their continuous efforts to conceive, they had no luck, leaving her feeling hopeless.
She sought out medical advice to find the cause and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer – with a full hysterectomy her only chance of survival.
As desperation grew, the pair researched surrogacy and came across a group on social media, where they found Michaela Fuller, who has now become a “second sister” after making Hayley’s dreams come true.
“I couldn’t have met anyone better than her to carry my baby,” Hayley, an administrator from Kent, told NeedToKnow.co.uk
“I had always pictured myself being a mum for as long as I can remember and when it wasn’t happening for us, I grew really frustrated.
“It was all I could think about, but then doctors discovered I had stage three ovarian cancer which had been triggered by the miscarriage.
“My heart shattered, but not because of the cancer, but because I was worried about not being able to have my baby.
“Being unable to carry my own was more painful than getting the diagnosis.”
Michaela, who already has four kids, Aoife, 11, Everly, nine, Arwen, six and Fable, four, found conceiving “easy” each time.
While she was content with her brood, the lifestyle assistant felt heartbroken about the women who struggle to fall pregnant or who aren’t able to at all.
She ran the idea past her husband, Joe, 32, who was supportive of his wife’s decision to help another family in their mission to become whole.
Michaela turned to a surrogacy Facebook group and reached out to Hayley after reading her harrowing story.
The 31-year-old said: “It was really heartbreaking reading about the other women who had been denied the joy of holding their newborn.
“I was interested in seeing it all come together and the smiles on a family’s face as they held their precious child.
“Although I had concerns about the attachment I’d grow toward the end of pregnancy, that soon washed away when I met Hayley.”
Soon, the pair started messaging back and forth, where they instantly clicked and their “intense” friendship blossomed.
One year later, they drew up an official agreement and spent £33,000 on the entire process using an anonymous donor’s eggs and Paul’s sperm.
After two attempts, Michaela had a positive pregnancy test and Hayley said hearing the news was “surreal.”
Hayley said: “It was almost as if a friend was having a baby, as I didn’t feel like it was ours straight away.
“Then, I got the overwhelming feeling that this was our bundle of joy and as each milestone happened, we got more and more excited.”
Michaela, from Hampshire, added: “I remember getting the positive result and taking a photo of it, before sending it to Hayley.
“She phoned me in seconds crying down the phone with tears of joy, it was music to my ears.
“When they found out it was a boy, they were overjoyed, especially as Paul loves football.
“It was pretty much the same as my own pregnancies, but I knew it wasn’t mine.
“It was Hayley and Paul’s baby the whole time and I was almost keeping him safe for them until they were ready to take over.”
In August 2022, little Mason arrived and immediately, as Hayley held her baby, she felt an overwhelming sense of love wash over her.
She said: “I wanted to protect him instantly and the amount of love I had for him was almost shocking.
“If I could go back to that moment now, I would in a heartbeat.”
Now, Mason is a very “boisterous” little tot and loves playing with Michaela’s children, who call him their cousin.
Currently, she’s in the process of helping another family and Hayley is enjoying being a mum, with plans of having a sibling in the future.
Michaela said: “It’s been magical, life changing and everything I could have hoped for.
“It’s been a dream come true for me as well.
“I’d say if you’re in the mindset to help another family, then go for it – it’s so much more than what people think and so rewarding, it’s been the best decision of my life.”
Hayley added: “Mason means the world to us and there are no words to thank Michaela.
“I know I’ve made a ‘sister’ for life with her and her wonderful family, which has now become an extended part of our own.
“I wish we could meet up more, but life is so much busier for us now we have our little boy.
“In the early days, I would seek advice from Michaela, as she’s the type of mum I aspire to be.
“I was worried about the reaction I would receive from [other mums], but they were nothing but positive and in awe of Michaela and what she has done for our family.
“I think, being a parent themselves, they know how special it is to have a baby and couldn’t imagine what we had been through.
“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster with the happiest ending.”
