A mum has revealed how she’s spending her first Christmas as a single mum with her sperm donor baby – and says he doesn’t need a dad.
Emily Hausman had been looking forward to celebrating the holidays with her little baby, Ezekiel, ever since she fell pregnant.
The 43-year-old has been dealt blow-after-blow over the past year including several health issues and being laid off work – which initially left her more stressed than excited about the festive season.
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But now it’s almost upon us, she’s determined to make Christmas more magical than ever.
“I absolutely love Christmas and I’m beyond excited to share it with my baby,” Emily told Need To Know.
“He already lights up at the lights and Christmas music.
“And he’s surrounded by so much love; having him makes the holidays feel extra special this year.
“I may not have a lot, but I have so much love and joy – and that’s what I want Ezekiel to grow up knowing during the holidays.
“Everything feels more meaningful now.
“[Before falling pregnant], I was keeping myself afloat but not really moving forward.
“It was like I was always waiting for something to happen before I could take the next step – as if my life was on pause – and I wasn’t truly fulfilled.
“After a lot of reflection, I realised that choosing to do it on my own didn’t mean I was giving up on having a family or meeting the right person someday.
“It just meant I wasn’t willing to settle or tie myself to someone who wasn’t ‘my’ person.”
Emily sought out an anonymous sperm donor and in April 2024 and went through IVF – but having a baby has not been an easy journey.
Just two months into her pregnancy, she suffered a subchorionic hematoma – a blood collection between the uterine wall and the outer foetal membrane – landing her in hospital.
At the same time, she lost her job due to company layoffs.
She said: “I truly couldn’t believe that all of this was happening to me at the same time.
“I’ve been through a lot of complicated things in life and I’ve always managed to keep pushing forward.
“My luck hasn’t been terrible but it’s never really been easy, either.
“The rug was pulled out from under my feet entirely at one of the most vulnerable moments in life.
“But I knew I had to do whatever I could to make sure my baby was going to be okay.
“There wasn’t room for fear – only focus.”
Emily, from Utah, US, gave birth to her little boy, now seven-month-old Ezekiel, in May 2025.
She was overjoyed but a couple of weeks later, the universe dealt the new mum another devastating blow.
She said: “I had a blood clot in my uterus, which I was rushed in to remove.
“I was completely exhausted and was trying to keep up, but my body couldn’t handle it.
“I felt like I was an inadequate mum and I had mum guilt for being away from my baby.
“But then doctors found out I had developed endometritis and a fever.
“I had just about recovered a few months later when one of my breasts remained hard following stopping breastfeeding.”
Emily was then tragically diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic melanoma cancer.
She said: “I was hysterical.
“I kept thinking: ‘I finally have the most precious gift – my baby – and now it’s all going to end’.
“I had finally started to feel like I was living the life I had always wanted, even with all the chaos and hurdles.
“And, suddenly, it was all being ripped away from me.”
Financially, it’s also been a struggle with Emily’s unemployment benefits ending the week before she got diagnosed.
Currently, she’s undergoing treatment, with two rounds of immunotherapy so far.
Her friend has started a GoFundMe to help with costs, with £82,000 raised out of £91,000 so far.
Emily hopes to share her story in a bid to show people that no matter how bad life gets, it’s always worth putting up a fight.
And she’s determined to have an amazing first Christmas with her son no matter what.
She added: “I’m staring my own mortality in the face – and it’s terrifying.
“Don’t wait for anyone or anything in life.
“There will be no ‘right time’ to do things, only the present.
“Each time I see my sweet baby’s face, I’m reminded of how lucky I am.
“He’s the reason I keep pushing forward.”
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