A woman who started ᴍᴇɴᴏᴘᴀᴜsᴇ in her 32s managed to get ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ with identical triplets. Hollie Gambrel, then 32, from Texas, US was informed after eight months of ɪɴᴄᴏɴsɪsᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅs that she was transitioning into ᴍᴇɴᴏᴘᴀᴜsᴇ. But Hollie and her salesman husband David, 34, from Texas, were determined to become parents even if it meant using an ᴀɴᴏɴʏᴍᴏᴜs ᴇɢɢ ᴅᴏɴᴏʀ.
The couple began saving every penny they earned to fund the ᴄᴏsᴛʟʏ ⒾⓋⒻ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ . Their generous friends and family donated more than $15,000. Hollie then selected a ᴅᴏɴᴏʀ in May 2019 who had sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀɪsᴛɪᴄs to herself, such as ʙʟᴏɴᴅᴇ ʜᴀɪʀ and being a keen runner . And they were delighted to find out that the Fᴇʀᴛɪʟɪsᴇᴅ ᴇɢɢ had sᴘʟɪᴛ into three ᴏᴅᴅs of one in 200 ᴍɪʟʟɪᴏɴ. She said : “I felt so grateful picking a ᴅᴏɴᴏʀ. It was amazing to know there was someone who would give their ᴇɢɢs so I can try and have ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ family. We were able to see the profiles and photos of ᴅɪFFᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ who were approved by the ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ’s ᴏFFɪᴄᴇ. I chose a woman who looked like me with ʙʟᴏɴᴅᴇ ʜᴀɪʀ but she had ʙʟᴜᴇ ᴇʏᴇs and I have ʙʀᴏᴡɴ . She was a sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ʜᴇɪɢʜᴛ, ᴀᴛʜʟᴇᴛɪᴄ and a runner like me.
On August 16, a ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴛᴇsᴛ revealed I was ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴛ. We were ecstatic as we had been waiting for this result for two years. But nothing could have prepared us for the news we received at the four-week sᴄᴀɴ. We turned bright red when they said ‘three babies’. I was in disbelief and I couldn’t stop laughing. I thought it was a joke. David was speechless. It took us a while to get our heads around but I was over the moon. Pʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ was the best thing ever. I had ɴᴏ ɪssᴜᴇs apart from ᴀ ʜᴜɢᴇ sᴛᴏᴍᴀᴄʜ. I gained 50lbs but it was fine.” Hollie was fortunate enough to work until 33 weeks before having a planned C-section one week later. She added:”The babies were taken into NICU but they were thriving.”
The couple upsized their two-door jeep to a minivan ahead of their arrival. Hollie said: “There’s a lot of running up and down the stairs, bottles, nappies, kisses and cuddles. Rory and Rhett play with each other the most whereas Ryder is focused on playing with a toy alone. We are so thankful for everyone who helped us on this journey. It’s worth it. it just took three of us rather than one. I am thankful for the ᴅᴏɴᴏʀ and ɴᴏᴛ Fᴀᴢᴇᴅ that the babies ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ’ᴛ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ with my ᴇɢɢs. All I have to do is look into their eyes and then I can see how much they love me – so it doesn’t bother me. As soon as they’re old enough to understand, they will know a sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀ helped get them here.”
Rory, Ryder, Rhett are now one-year-old and Hollie, who was a teacher, couldn’t be happier. Hollie said: ” I’m speechless sometimes because I can’t believe I have three babies. I want others to know there is a way – it may ɴᴏᴛbe the way you planned but it will always work out. I was ʜᴇᴀʀᴛʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ about ɴᴏᴛ having my out but happy that my husband was able to have his ᴏᴡɴ ʙɪᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ baby.” Life with triplets is awesome! She added :” I am one of the most blessed people I know. I pray it gives you strength. I pray it shows you the power of faith. Never give up on your dreams because with Gᴏᴅ, all things are possible!”