Cheryl Keye's sister Lyndsay Woolton (left) was surrogate mother to baby Elliot   LONDON - Arabstoday After being born without a womb, Cheryl Keye had resigned herself to never having children of her own. But she hadn’t counted on the selfless generosity of her sister Lyndsay Wootton.
She offered to act as a surrogate and carry the baby for her. And now Mrs Keye, a PA, and her husband Jason are parents to son Elliot.
His birth nine months ago is all the more special because although 12 eggs were retrieved from Mrs Keye’s ovaries and fertilised with her husband’s sperm, only one was good enough to be implanted into Miss Wootton, providing only one chance of success.
Mrs Keye, 36, said: ‘Words can’t begin to describe how much joy Elliot has brought into my life.
'I was in the delivery room when Lyndsay gave birth and Elliot was delivered into my arms. He is simply the child I’d never thought I’d have.’
Miss Wootton, 32, said Elliot’s birth had strengthened the bond she had with her sister. ‘Giving birth to my nephew has been the most wonderful experience,’ she said.
‘And his birth has brought us closer than we ever could have imagined.’
Mrs Keye was 17 when she was told she had the rare condition Mullerian Agenesis, or MRKH. It affects one in 5,000 women and means the reproductive organs fail to develop properly.
She said: ‘When doctors told me I didn’t have a uterus it was simply devastating as I always imagined I’d have children. I also felt a freak and as if I wasn’t a proper woman.’
Aged 22 she met Mr Keye, now 38, a business development manager, and two months later plucked up the courage to tell him. ‘He said he loved me anyway,’ she said. ‘We made a life without children, buying a beautiful home, pursuing our careers and going on exotic holidays.’
But after marrying at the age of 30, Mrs Keye began to think more about having a baby and began looking into surrogacy. She said: ‘As I was telling Lyndsay about my research she said, “Look, if you want a baby, I’ll have one for you”.’
Miss Wootton, who has a six-year-old daughter, said: ‘Cheryl was amazed at my offer but it was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. It felt totally right.’
After 18 months of tests the sisters, from Coleshill, Warwickshire, who qualified for IVF on the NHS, began the treatment. When a pregnancy test showed Miss Wootton was pregnant, the family cried tears of joy.
Over the following months Mrs Keye accompanied her sister to all her scans. She said: ‘It was bizarre shopping for a cot and baby clothes when I had no bump. But everyone was so happy for us.’
Elliot was born in August, weighing 8lb 8oz, and the first person to hold him was Mrs Keye, who took him home later that day. She said: ‘As I laid Elliot in his cot, it was as if all the heartache of the past few years had melted away. I will always be so grateful to Lyndsay. She made our dream come true.’