An infertile cancer survivor is finally set to become a mother after her Instagram friend agreed to be her surrogate.
Marissa Smith, 30, of Toronto, was diagnosed with reproductive cancer at the age of 25.
Despite undergoing 17 surgeries to make her body fit for pregnancy, she was left unable to conceive.
Then I stumbled across Instagram posts about surrogacy by Ariel Taylor, 31, who’s already been a three-time surrogate.
The couple became close, met in real life, and became best friends.
Marissa Smith (left) and Ariel Taylor (right). Marissa is finally a mother after becoming infertile after battling cancer
Knowing that Ariel loved American actor Jesse McCartney, Marissa then managed to get him to record a video cameo asking if he Ariel will be her replacement.
Ariel said yes – and is now 25 weeks pregnant with Marissa’s baby – born via IVF using Marissa’s husband’s sperm and Marissa’s egg.
The baby is due to be born on July 9.
“When I was told I couldn’t get pregnant, it was very difficult,” said mother Marissa, a special education teacher.
‘I had hoped to be a mother for a long time.
“But thanks to Ariel, we can finally experience parenthood.”
In 2018, Marissa was diagnosed with a precancerous tumor of her cervix and uterus.
She then underwent four surgeries and 12 procedures on her reproductive system in an effort to make her uterus suitable for pregnancy.
But after three years and a failed round of IVF, she was told she would never get pregnant.
And in May 2020, doctors suggested that they consider the possibility of a surrogate pregnancy.
Marissa Smith, 30, (L) was diagnosed with reproductive cancer aged 25 and despite 17 operations, three years of IVF with her husband have been unsuccessful
Marissa Smith (left) and Ariel Taylor (right) became best friends and “family” after meeting via Instagram
Ariel and Marissa. When Marissa wanted to ask Ariel to be her agent, she sought the help of actor Jesse McCartney
Marissa was matched with a surrogate and the surrogacy process began.
But in 2021, both embryo transfers failed.
Although Marissa was devastated — due to the fact that she was using a surrogate — she actually spent a lot of time online researching the process.
Jobs has found Ariel.
Ariel, who has an eight-year-old daughter and two daughters with her fiancé, has already completed three surrogate surgeries.
Arielle, a social worker and psychotherapist, from London, Canada, said, “We became friends due to the fact that I was a surrogate and she was using one.
We got really close while she was going through the process of losing her old surrogate.
She was going through a really hard time and people don’t really understand how she feels – but we bonded really quickly because I got it.
Then Marissa and Ariel temporarily go silent about Ariel becoming Marissa’s new surrogate.
“We started talking about how great it was to be on the trip together,” Marissa said.
I knew she loved Jesse McCartney, so I got her a cameo and asked him to ask if she would hold my baby — she kind of suggested.
“She obviously agreed.”
Ariel (left) has agreed to be a substitute. She is now 25 weeks pregnant with Marissa’s baby – conceived via IVF using Marissa’s husband’s sperm and Marissa’s egg
Marissa Smith (right) and Ariel Taylor (left), linked over their interest in surrogacy, with a happy ending to the story
Friends now go shopping together for baby clothes and attend ultrasounds. The baby is due in July
In October 2022, Ariel is implanted with an embryo from Marissa’s eggs and her husband’s sperm – she learns she is pregnant a week later.
The process has brought Ariel and Marissa closer than ever – and they now consider themselves family.
Marissa revealed that she’s “over the moon” — but admits it’s been a struggle.
She said: ‘I’m still processing my trauma from my fertility issues.
“Just because something finally works out, it doesn’t take away from the pain and trauma we went through to get to this point.”
But she added that she is still happy with the pregnancy.
‘It’s so surreal when we’re together,’ she said, ‘I still don’t really think she’s holding my baby in her stomach.
“But I couldn’t be happier and feel very lucky to have the opportunity to have a surrogate because not many people get that chance.”
Marissa goes to all her midwife appointments and ultrasounds with Ariel, and the couple go on baby shopping trips.
Best friends have already determined how things will work out once the baby is born — Ariel is going to be an aunt.
Ariel said Marissa and her husband would tell their son that Ariel was the surrogate, and there would be no secrets.
She added that Ariel, her partner and her children are truly an “extended family” for Marisa.
“There’s nothing I can do to pay her back and show her how much I appreciate what she’s doing,” Marissa said.
We will continue our friendship forever – it is now part of our family and we are part of it.
“I don’t even have words to describe how I feel about Ariel – I will never be able to thank her enough for what she did.”
She added, ‘We are so excited – we can’t wait to welcome our little guy.
“We’ve been waiting for this forever.”
Ariel added, “This is very sweet of me because I would love to be pregnant, but don’t want another baby.”
We were friends before, but the process also brought us closer.
“I, too, will be a part of it getting heartbeats and gender reveal, private, intimate moments you wouldn’t normally be a part of.” “
