Brianna Lynn Photography
Meet Shannon
"My journey started a couple years before we were married. I had one miscarriage, which was the worst feeling of my life. We continued to try before marriage and after as well. I remember before going to NC for Christmas our first year married. I thought I was pregnant as I had not gotten my monthly friend: even two at home tests said I was, so I made an appointment to see my OBGYN and when they did there test it was negative. I cried during that visit, and they told me it could have been a chemical pregnancy. I never even heard of this so I started googling what that was and realized that perhaps it was time for me to see a specialist to help us get pregnant since we were having no luck. I was only 34 and was thinking how could this happen to me, I ended up at RMA as my older friend used them like 20 years ago for her miracle baby. I walked in and met with Dr. Morris, we did all the testing, then came the day for my results. My husband could not be with me, but my older friend came with me and good thing she did. The results were not what I expected: Basically, I was told we couldn't use my eggs as they were poor quality and my numbers were all over the place." (Cont. below)
I asked if I was going through early menopause and Dr. Morris said no. She was really great and was ready with a box of tissues. We discussed the option of using donor eggs. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would need this. After discussing this with my husband and getting over the heartache of not being able to conceive with my own eggs, we decided to go forward with the process.
July of 2019 we filled out all the paperwork for what we wanted our donor to look like. We were told it could take six months or longer to find someone. Well in August of 2019, we got a call saying they found someone and they sent over pictures. We decided to move forward. Everything happened so quickly and before we knew it, I had a transfer date for one of the four embryos. We got to the transfer and they said they had issues thawing the one they were going to use (I left it up to them as I had no clue how to decide which one) so they had to unfreeze another one. Then it was the dreaded wait till I found out if the transfer worked or not. I got a call from my nurse, Shannon, who said it had worked and I was pregnant.
This was in January of 2020, that same month I ended up getting sick with a fever. I went to the CVS minute clinic and basically was told to go to the hospital as I had a lot of ketones in my urine. I was so scared that something was going to happen, but the staff was great. Doctor Morris even came to see me and told me next time to call them right away, as they could have treated me. I finally graduated from RMA in late February. It was a bittersweet day for me. Fast forward to March, Covid started. This was a blessing in disguise for me as I got to work from home. However, that same month before Easter of 2020, my husband got really sick for 10 days (he works in healthcare and did not have the opportunity to work from home). kicked him out of the apartment and sent him to his dad's house. Finally, September 2020 came and our baby girl Alice Rose Wojciechowski was born, but of course there were complications. I was scheduled for a c-section, but she flipped at the last moment. We went home and tried to see if she would come on her own and she didn't so I was induced. However, I lost a lot more blood than the average person, Alice was taken away to the NICU as she wasn't getting enough oxygen and not breathing correctly. I also had to be put under so my OBGYN could remove all of the placenta.
In the long run, we got our Miracle Baby and I couldn't be more thrilled. Currently we are going back for round two, same doctor and nurse as they make a great team." - Shannon
I was so glad that Shannon and Alice were part of our Moms of Miracles series. Shannon was open and vulnerable in, both, her mini session and her blog entry sharing with me her deep emotions of using an egg donor and how deeply she loves her daughter. She wrote "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would need this." She is not the first Miracle Series Mom to share something along these same lines. We grow up dreaming of having a family, if that's what we choose, but it did not even occur to us that it wouldn't be easy. I remember crying to my husband each time I saw a pregnancy announcement from someone. I was so happy for them, truly, but it tugged at my heartstrings as I waited to post an announcement of my own.
Shannon's journey shows another level of strength. She knew she was meant to have Alice, whatever the means. Without Shannon, Alice wouldn't be here. And without Alice, Shannon would not have her Rainbow Baby. They may not be connected by blood, but their bond - in my opinion - is something so incredibly unique and special. Just look at that Little Lady's smile: She knows it, too.
