Becoming a surrogate is one of the most altruistic acts a woman can do. Submitting your own body to the harsh conditions of pregnancy to help a couple of strangers is both brave and selfless. In many occasions, a surrogate is the only option available for those who dream of becoming parents, but simply can't.

The story we bring you today is about a courageous young woman who decided to be a surrogate to help others. But it's much more than that! Shaniece Sturdy's experience as a surrogate was filled with radical plot turns and emotional decisions and can teach us a lot about love, compassion, and the unpredictability of life.

A Big Decision

Before this picture was made possible, a young woman by the name of Shaniece Sturdy was forced to make a very difficult choice. She was only 21 years old when she decided to offer her services as a surrogate and she was about to experience the biggest adventure of her life.

Becoming pregnant in the name of others, especially strangers, is a sheer act of kindness and a task that demands a lot of hard work. Shaniece was about to find out just how unpredictable life can be when she accepted the demanding job of keeping someone else's baby in her belly.

Ready For Surrogacy

Despite being only 21 years old, Shaniece decided to become a surrogate. It was a tough choice for any woman, and especially for a woman as young as Shaniece. But her decision was motivated by love and kindness; as we will see in a moment, this was something Shaniece felt like she had to do.

Making a big decision like this can change your life forever, and such a statement applies to Shaniece. She was about to roll into a rollercoaster of emotions. If you think that being a surrogate at 21 is overwhelming enough, then you're in for a surprise! That's just the tip of our story's iceberg.

The First Ultrasound

A pregnant woman's first ultrasound is an emotional and happy occasion. But for some reason, Shaniece was very nervous when the burse first rubbed the cold ultrasound jelly in her already-protuberant belly. She tried to calm her down, but Shaniece had a feeling something could be wrong.

As the nurse continued the procedure, Shaniece looked at the undistinguishable images on the ultrasound screen. When the nurse stopped to analyze the situation, a worrying silence was felt in the maternity facility. To Shaniece's horror, the nurse got up and called for a doctor... Was there something wrong?

Family Influence

One can say Shaniece was genetically and emotionally prepared to be a mother. She grew up in a stable family home and she was heavily influenced, as most kids are, by her parents' relationship. They got together when they were only 16 years-old and they went on to make a beautiful home and family.

Additionally, Shaniece was influenced by her older sister, who got married right after finishing school. Wherever she looked, there was an example of a stable and long-lasting love story. As a result, Shaniece always dreamt of having kids and a family of her own.

Big Sister Leaves the House

Long before that first ultrasound, Shaniece saw her big sister Linda move out of the house to start a family. At the time, she was only 14 years old and hardly worried about seeing her big sister leave. On the contrary, she saw it was a blessing: finally, she wouldn't have to share the bathroom with anybody else!

As young Shaniece got older, her big sister's absence started weighing on her. After all, she loved Linda and missed her very much. For that reason, she decided to buy a bus ticket and visit her...

Paying Sis' a Visit

It all seemed like another regular day on Shaniece's life. She was determined to visit her sister and catch up to the latest news as she approached Linda's front yard. When she was about to enter the house, she saw her brother-in-law driving away in his big red truck.

Not realizing something was wrong, she waved at Linda's husband. Strangely, he didn't wave back. Was there something wrong? "Maybe he just didn't notice me", though Shaniece, as she entered the house of her big sister. Unknowingly, the biggest adventure of her life was about to start.

A Moment in Time

When you're young, beautiful, and healthy, the world can rarely seem like a bad and unfair place. Shaniece was baffled by her brother-in-law's behavior as she stepped inside the house of her big sister to pay her what seemed like a regular day-to-day family visit.

When she entered, the scenario was very different from what she first expected. Young Shaniece was about to get a taste of just how cruel real-life can be when she found Linda covered in tears and a very fragile emotional state. But what was going on?

"I Asked Him to Leave"

Shaniece was naturally startled and worried when she saw her big sister covered in tears. She asked what was going on, and Linda simply said: "I asked him to leave". At first, Shaniece suspected of wrongdoing by her brother-in-law, but she quickly realized that was not the case.

But, if Linda wasn't crying because of a big fight with her husband, why was she crying? Shaniece had a lot of questions, but Linda needed to get herself together and calm down before explaining. When she was finally ready, she explained everything...

A Family Tragedy

As it turned out, Linda was crying for a very serious reason. She explained to Shaniece that she was trying to get pregnant for over a year without success. With tears rolling down her eyes, she confessed that she was considering alternative options, but that these were not viable.

While Linda's husband was trying to convince her to take a loan for IVF, she was sure they weren't able to afford it. Devastated, Linda had lost all hope of becoming pregnant and having the family of her dreams. Baffled, Shaniece could do nothing but trying to comfort her.

Love & Support

Seeing a close loved one suffering can be devastating, but Shaniece knew she had to be stronger to help her big sister. Determined to help, she decided to stay for the weekend and make sure Linda was alright. She knew how much she wanted to have kids and she could relate to her tragical condition.

Unaware of how impactful her words would turn out to be, Shaniece convinced Linda to try to get pregnant again in the future, and she was able to make her big sister feel hopeful and happy once again.

A Short-Lasting Hope

Driven by her little sister's hopeful words, Linda decided to continue trying to get pregnant. With the support of the whole family, she was able to see her dream come true, but she opted to keep her pregnancy secret at first. As most wannabe moms know, a pregnancy's first trimester is usually the most dangerous one.

Linda's worse fears proved accurate. Sadly, her pregnancy never reached the second trimester due to a tragical miscarriage and she fell in a ravaging depression. She was going through a future mom's worst nightmare and there was a chance she wasn't going to be able to get out of it.

Fighting Back

Understandably, Linda was a mess after her miscarriage. Shaniece's brother-in-law Josh was doing everything he could to try and make his wife feel better, but there was no way out to the tragical situation... Or was it?

Instead of deciding to simply accept his fate, Josh decided to fight back! He wanted a kid as much as Linda did, and he wasn't going to let destiny get in the way of his dreams. With IVF and a regular pregnancy out of the equation, Josh started considering alternative options and had a plan all figured out in his mind.

Making Linda Happy

In a moment of trouble, one's family usually comes to mind. Josh was devastated for seeing Linda unhappy, so he came up with a plan: using a surrogate. At the time, Shaniece was too young to be considered, so Josh thought of his sister.

The plan made Josh and Linda very happy. Their dream of having a child was once again on the table. But there was still one piece of the puzzle missing... Becoming a surrogate requires a lot of hard work and commitment, and at the time Josh and Linda still needed Josh's sister to offer her consent.

A Question Bigger Than Life

Linda and Josh were very cautious before asking Josh's sister to become the biological mother of their first child. It's a question bigger than life, and a very demanding one, so our couple was trying to keep their hopes as low as possible.

The three sat down nervously, with Linda and Josh explaining the situation to Josh's sister. Deep down in their hearts, they wanted her to say yes, but they weren't sure about it. After carefully listening to Linda and Josh's case, Josh's sister was ready to provide the couple with an answer...

The Answer

Relating to the suffering of Linda, Josh's sister was quick in providing her brother with an answer. "I'll do it", she said. After hearing these three little words, Linda and Josh felt like the gigantic weight that was hovering over their heads was at last gone. They could finally relax and feel once again hopeful about having a family.

After years of trying to conceive and a life-changing miscarriage, Linda and Josh felt for a while that their dreams were not worth pursuing. After Josh's sister's answer, they were finally ready to once again assume their dreams and move on with their lives.

Plan C Was on The Table

Linda and Josh were convinced Josh's sister would be up to the task of being a surrogate mom, but they had a plan B (or should we say plan C?) ready to put in practice in case she'd said no.

Like most wannabe parents, Linda and Josh wanted to raise their child from the moment he or she was born. But they also had adoption in mind. In a world where so many kids are forced to live without the support of both parents, Josh and Linda were ready to go through the system and adopt a child if they were denied the chance of having a child of their own.

Linda Was Still Anxious

Josh's sister's answer was just the beginning of the big adventure that is surrogacy. Having her heart broken before, Linda felt extremely anxious throughout the entire process and tried to control her feelings by keeping her hopes low. Meanwhile, young Shaniece was always ready to support her big sister.

9 months is a long time to feel anxious about something, but that's just destiny for every future mom and dad. Linda and Josh got through the nervewracking process of surrogacy together, supporting Josh's sister in every possible way throughout the pregnancy.

Life's Miracle

9 months felt like a lifetime for the anxious Linda and Josh, but all their hard work and effort proved worthy. Josh's sister was able to complete the surrogacy process, providing Josh and Linda with the thing they wanted the most in the whole world: a baby child. Now, a new adventure was commencing - the adventure of parenthood!

On the sidelines, Shaniece was accompanying the whole process, and she couldn't believe how happy Josh and Linda were in the end! Filled with emotion, she decided to commit herself to a big, big promise...

Shaniece's Promise

Shaniece was touched by the whole surrogacy process and that made something change in her mind. Being a selfless person who likes to make others happy, she made a huge promise on the day her baby nephew was born - to one day become a surrogate.

Shaniece was inspired by everything her big sister went through while trying to have a child. In her heart, she committed to becoming a surrogate in case she was ever given the chance. She was very young at the time, but she was already aware of how much surrogacy means to a struggling couple.

A Twist of Fate

A few weeks after celebrating her 21st anniversary, Shaniece was still determined to one day become a surrogate mom. She was not interested in partying or drinking like most youngsters, and all she wanted to do was to help a struggling couple have a big and healthy family.

Finally, Shaniece's chance was presented when she met Joanna and Steve, a loving couple who was unable to have children of their own. When they realized Shaniece was ready to help them with having a child, they could not believe their luck! Soon enough, Shaniece was flying to Los Angeles to undergo the surrogacy procedure.

Misconceptions About Surrogacy

Most people know what surrogacy is about, but are unaware of how it works exactly. When Shaniece flew to Los Angeles to become a surrogate, she was inserted with an embryo containing both Joanna's and Steve's DNA. A surrogate child is just like a natural child and relates to both his/her mother and father.

As to Shaniece's role in the whole situation, it's simple: she's just "renting" her womb to someone else's future child. She's the one getting pregnant, but the baby inside of her is fully related to Joanna and Steve.

Shaniece Knew What She Was Stepping Into

Shaniece was only 21, but she was not as unaware of what goes on during pregnancy as most 21-year-olds do. After all, her decision was mainly influenced by the surrogate pregnancy of Josh's sister. She knew all about the pains associated with having kids, including constant nausea, mood swings, exhaustion, or weight problems.

Still, Shaniece's promise and wilfulness to help were more important to her than the physical and psychological stress of having a human being growing on inside your belly. She was able to endure the afflictions of pregnancy, but she could not stop herself from worrying.

3 Happy Months

Shaniece's concerns started only after the first 3 months of pregnancy. During the first trimester, she was experiencing a healthy and unusually painless pregnancy. The habitual afflictions of having a baby were not troubling Shaniece, who was lucky enough to continue with her normal day-to-day as if nothing was going on!

Everything seemed perfect, but after the first trimester's end, Shaniece noticed something strange... Her belly continued to grow massively every day, and it was becoming unusually large for a 3-months pregnant woman! Was this a reason for concern? What was going on?

Something's Not Right

Shaniece wasn't struggling with the pains normally associated with being pregnant. Instead, she was worried about feeling like something wasn't right. Her belly was unusually large and her instincts were telling her this was not a normal pregnancy.

These concerns made Shaniece think about her big sister once again, and about how she wasn't able to have children. Was it a genetic issue? Was there a chance Shaniece was going to go through a miscarriage? With all the questions and none of the answers, Shaniece decided to pay a visit to the doctor.

The Doctor Steps Into the Room...

Now it's finally time to go back to the ultrasound procedure we have initially mentioned. At this point, Shaniece was left worried to death with nothing but jelly on her belly as the nurse stepped out of the room and called for a doctor. A man with a white coat walked inside shortly after.

The doctor looked calm as he sat down and started analyzing the ultrasound screen. Shaniece was about to break down in tears; the nerves were starting to pile up unbearably... After a short period that felt like a lifetime, the doctor looked Shaniece straight in the eyes and delivered the news.

1-2-3

When the doctor started speaking, Shaniece knew something unexpected was going on. In her heart, she prayed everything was right with the baby in her belly. The doctor finally started explaining what was happening, and as he spoke, Shaniece's face was slowly lighting up with joy.

It turns out there was nothing wrong with the baby. But there was some big news in store for that second-trimester ultrasound... Shaniece was having not 1, not 2, but 3 babies! Triplets! At first, she felt happy and relieved, but quickly enough she realized just how overwhelming the situation was.

Best Things Come in 3

Shaniece was concerned about Steve and Joanna's reaction. They wanted to be parents more than any other thing, but they were planning on having one baby, not three! After the ultrasound, she met with the couple to deliver the news, and she was happy to find out they were very excited about having triplets!

Having 3 babies was not going to be an easy task, but fortunately, Shaniece was able to count with the support of a loving couple like Steve and Joanna. They started preparing immediately for the unexpected event, knowing there's only one thing harder than giving birth to 3 babies, and that's raising them!

6 Months Later

The following 6 months were unexpectedly easy for Shaniece. Other than having the biggest belly in the room, she was free of concerns and she wasn't particularly troubled by morning sickness or cravings. As soon as Shaniece's concerns were gone, the pregnancy turned out being as pleasant as possible, given the conditions.

At 21 years of age, Shaniece gave birth to two baby girls and one baby boy. Years after accompanying her big sister's struggle, she was finally able to deliver on her promise. She changed a stranger's couple life forever out of sheer compassion and they could not feel more thankful.

Willow, Daisy & Harrison

Thanks to Shaniece's braveness and wilfulness to help others, Joanna and Steve are now the proud parents of these 3 little cuties. Willow, Daisy, and Harrison will for sure give a lot of work to their parents, but Joanna and Steve could not have asked for a bigger gift from life!

They wanted to start a family by having one child, but they were graced with a complete set of children all at once. Every single sleepless night Joanna and Steve will be spending watching out for their babies will feel like a blessing.

Shaniece Visits Sometimes

Willow, Daisy, and Harrison are a lot bigger now, but they still look as cute as they did in the day they first were born. As you can see, they are a happy and healthy set of triplets who can count on the support of two loving parents. But they have someone else to count on...

While it's not usual for a surrogate to keep track of a baby after he/she's born, Shaniece couldn't help it but visiting the triplets once in a while. She may not be biologically connected to them, but they're connected by an emotional and life-changing experience. Besides, could anyone resist visiting these 3 adorable babies?