A woman who lost her reproductive organs as a child has asked her mother to act as a surrogate – and give birth to her own grandchild.
Jasmine Bowley, 21, from Norwich, had her ovaries and Fallopian tubes removed when she developed Ewing’s sarcoma, a form of cancer, in her pelvis at the age of seven – which also affected her womb.
After meeting her partner Daniel Bell, 27, the couple were desperate to have a child of their own and initially had hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with a view to undergoing IV, using a donor egg.
But the treatment failed and Jasmine’s mother, Sabrina Bowley, 39, has now volunteered to carry the child – which will be conceived using Daniel’s sperm and a donor egg – and give birth to her own grandchild.
Jasmine Bowley, from Norwich, is hoping to raise £20,000 so her mother Sabrina (left with Jasmine) can act as a surrogate for her child
The family now hopes to raise £20,000 on GoFundMe to complete Jasmine’s dream family.
Mother-of-four Sabrina said: ‘I feel like it’s the only and biggest thing I can do for my daughter and her partner. To give them the gift of life would make all my dreams and her’s come true.
‘I’m a proud mum and will be a proud grandmother. I’m truly proud of my daughter and how far she has got in life despite everything she has gone through.
‘People have been telling me that I’m a wonderful and amazing mum for agreeing to do this but I’m not.
Jasmine (pictured aged seven with her brother Reece) had her ovaries and Fallopian tubes removed when she developed pelvic Ewing’s sarcoma as a child
After Jasmine met her partner Daniel Bell (pictured together), the couple were desperate to have a child of their own and initially had hormone replacement therapy with a view to have IVF
‘I’m just helping my daughter out like any other mum would. It just so happens that in this instance I’m going to help her become a mum.
‘I’ve done it four times before so I know what to do.’
Jasmine was diagnosed with pelvic Ewing’s sarcoma when she was just seven and she bravely beat the disease.
Her Fallopian tubes and ovaries were removed during surgery to remove her cancer while radiotherapy damaged her womb.
Having dreamed of becoming a mother for most of her life, the only option available to Jasmine was hormone replacement therapy which would hopefully encourage her womb to grow and allow her to become a mother through IVF.
Pictured: Jasmine and her mother Sabrina holding a photograph of the pair when Jasmine was ill as a child
Sabrina (pictured when Jasmine was 18 months old) has volunteered to carry the child – which will be conceived using Daniel’s sperm and a donor egg – and give birth to her own grandchild
But the treatment failed to stimulate growth in Jasmine’s womb leaving her with little option but to apply for surrogacy privately at a cost of £20,000.
She said: ‘If the hormone replacement therapy had worked I would have been able to have had an artificial insemination.
‘Becoming a mum would be a dream come true for me and something I’ve always wanted.
‘I’d had hormone replacement therapy as a teenager and even though it didn’t work I still thought I’d have a small chance of becoming a mum naturally..’
In a heart-to-heart chat, Jasmine, Daniel and Sabrina decided the only way Jasmine could become a mother would be through a private surrogacy – and that Sabrina would be the surrogate.
Sabrina said she may even give birth naturally. She added: ‘We were told when she was younger that Jasmine would probably be unable to have children but as the years went on we always clung to hope.
Jasmine was diagnosed with pelvic Ewing’s sarcoma when she was just seven and she bravely beat the disease (Pictured: Jasmine at age six)
‘When we realised we had no other option than to go privately it was spoken about who would be the surrogate and I offered to do it after a long conversation between the three of us.
‘As we talked about the options it struck me that the easiest thing to do would be for me to be the surrogate. Daniel and Jasmine discussed it and we decided between the three of us that that was what we would do.
‘It only seemed right and best for me to do it and I have had other pregnancies all healthy and fine.
‘It’s the gift of life and I want to help in anyway I can.’
Jasmine, Daniel and Sabrina hope to raise the £20,000 needed for the procedure before Sabrina undergoes IVF to become pregnant using Daniel’s sperm and a donor egg.
The family has agreed they will be open and honest with their child and grandchild about the birth.
So far, Jasmine, Daniel and Sabrina say their decision has been met with nothing but love and support from their nearest and dearest.
Daniel said: ‘Jasmine is the love of my life. She told me a week into the relationship that she probably wouldn’t be able to have kids. It was a shock but of course I didn’t mind.
‘We’ve looked at all the options over the last few years and knew about two years ago that I would have to give sperm.’
Jasmine added: ‘The moment mum said she’d do it it didn’t sink in. We’ve had so many knock backs. All of our friends and family have been so supportive.
‘Becoming a mum will be everything to me, it will complete my life.’
A spokesman for Surrogacy UK said: ‘Surrogacy is a beautiful way to create a family – full of trust, friendship and love and surrogacy teams made up of friends, or family members are common in the UK.
‘Luckily for those intended parents who don’t have a friend or family member to help, more and more surrogates are coming forward every day, whose dream it is to carry a surrogacy pregnancy.
‘Around 400 babies a year in the UK are created through surrogacy, and as it becomes a more acceptable way to have a baby, it is only set to increase.
‘In the UK, openness, honesty and lifelong friendships are encouraged, so the children born are lucky to have parents that love them, but also a loving relationship with their surrogate too.
‘The IVF postcode lottery means that anyone undergoing fertility treatment in the UK may have to self fund, however surrogacy IVF is usually much more expensive than normal IVF. This means that intended parents have to save thousands of pounds before they can even start on their journey.
‘Not only are intended parents dealing with not being able to carry their own child, they have the added pressure of financial infertility too.
‘SurrogacyUK wish Jasmine, Daniel and Sabrina all the best for their upcoming surrogacy journey, and we very much hope to be able to congratulate them very soon.’