Twin girls, Sawyer and Rowan Devaney, were born this summer via a surrogate, Kelsey Robison of Fredericksburg. — Photo courtesy the Devaney family
By Yvonne Hartmann —
Kelsey and Levi Robison and Elizabeth and James Devaney have given each other the ultimate gift — life.
And in this season of miracle births, gifts and giving, the two couples are forever blessed by twin girls, Rowan and Sawyer, who were born July 22, 2015, in Hill Country Memorial Hospital.
What makes this birth so special for the two families who might have otherwise never met is that the twins were born through what some may call un unusual set of circumstances — surrogacy.
After the birth of their first child, Zooey, the Devaneys got the news that they wouldn’t be able to have any more children “the old-fashioned way.”
The Robisons on the other hand, had two young daughters, Dacey and Allie, but Kelsey had a calling to help someone that she just couldn’t ignore.
Both couples saw surrogacy as an option and from that almost two-year journey for the couple from Fredericksburg and the couple from Houston, twins were born.
“Being a surrogate was one of the best decisions I have ever made,” Kelsey said. “I am so thankful I decided to pursue it and even more thankful that I had so much support.”
The Robisons
Kelsey and Levi can be described as a typical family with two children, a couple of cats, a dog and a house in the country.
Kelsey is a registered nurse at Women and Children First and Levi works for the Texas Department of Transportation.
Kelsey said that while she was content with her family of four, the desire to become a surrogate mother continued to grow.
“Once I had my own children, I was even more sure of my decision,” she said. “It was hard to see people struggle to have children when you knew it was something they wanted more than anything.”
“I have always felt a calling to help others and being a surrogate seemed like the ultimate gift. I wanted to give someone the same joy that I had when I had my own children,” Kelsey said.
So, with the support of Levi and despite some resistance from family and friends, Kelsey moved ahead. She went through the application process, testing, counseling and more through Surrogate Solutions.
The Devaneys
Like the Robisons, the Devaneys are a typical family living in Houston.
Liz is an attorney and Jamie is currently a stay-at-home father to their three children – Zooey, Sawyer and Rowan.
Liz suffered serious complications after the birth of Zooey, and as a result, was told she could not have any more children.
“We found out a few months after my daughter’s first birthday that she would be the only child I would have the privilege of carrying,” Liz said. “I tend to be a solution-seeker by nature, so we pretty quickly went from an infertility diagnosis to contacting an agency to get the ball rolling.”
For more on this story, read this week’s print and online editions of the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post. If you are a print subscriber, your full online subscription is free. All you need to do is call 830-997-2155 to get a password. If you are not a subscriber, call 997-2155 or click on the ‘Subscribe’ button on the left side of the home page and sign up today!