Kindred Surrogacy in Clovis will soon offer hope to local families who want to have a baby
CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Kindred Surrogacy in Clovis will soon offer hope to local families who want to have a baby.
The new agency is the only one in the Central Valley that will help intended parents meet possible surrogates at various stages of the process.
"Either they have already seen a doctor or that doctor has told them they must use a surrogate in order to grow their families. Or they are just starting out and they need a referral to a fertility clinic or they have met a woman who they want as surrogate," said Chelsee Heu, Kindred Surrogacy Co-Founder.
Possible surrogates will go through mental and background checks plus they must meet certain health and financial standards.
"Kindred Surrogacy" has a staff of five women that includes Case Manager, Ursila McFadden, she has a deep understanding of the process. She's been a surrogate three times in addition to her own pregnancy.
"My co-workers and I wish that we would have had us when we were surrogates. We just love to share our experiences and there is nothing more valuable," she said.
McFadden's experience includes giving birth to twins for an Arizona couple back in 2015 and to a Clovis couple in 2017.
She said surrogates must understand what the intended parents have gone through before the process can even begin.
"You see all of the heartache and loss that they have already gone through just to get through surrogacy because no one chooses surrogacy first," said McFadden.
Before pregnancy, the process can take 12 to 24 months for surrogacy and couples will likely spend at least a $100,000.
But McFadden points out seeing the face of a new parent meeting their baby for the first time is priceless.
"When you see the parents with their baby at delivery you think oh my gosh I did that and it makes you want to do that again. Which is why it is very rare to find a surrogate you have only done it one time," she said.
"Kindred Surrogacy" opens its doors Tuesday evening.
