Sally Obermeder’s surrogate speaks out
TV presenter Sally Obermeder has opened up about the emotional birth her second child, Elyssa Rose, who was born via a surrogate in December last year.
Channel 7’s Sunday Night followed Sally, her husband Marcus and their daughter Annabelle to the US as they searched to complete their family of four.
In 2011, during her first pregnancy Sally was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer. She underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy after the birth of her little girl and was eventually given the all clear one year after her diagnosis.
The cancer meant that Sally could never have a natural pregnancy again, but the TV personality had always dreamed of a large family.
“I acknowledge that I’m extremely lucky to have one child... But the yearning and desire to be a mum again is so strong and it has not passed,” The Daily Edition host previously said.
“Before I was sick I always pictured I would have two or three children, if I was lucky enough, and I still want that for Annabelle.”
Sally still had four embryos remaining from previous IVF treatment and journeyed to the US to find a surrogate.
Sally and Marcus met Rachel, a mother to three girls, who had been a surrogate once before.
Rachel tells Sunday Night the chance to help the Obermeders complete their family was “priceless”.
“It does bring up a lot of questions, like, ‘How are you able to give the baby away?’ And truly, it's not my baby. I'm just babysitting for 10 months,” she says.
Sally recalls the moment she first saw her daughter.
“I was like, I don't know how to channel all this love and all this emotion and all this gratitude. You feel like you're going to erupt.
“I felt like I was going to explode.”