Inconceivable
Page 28
We knew from the minute we met with our editor Cindy DiTiberio and our entire team at HarperOne that we made an ideal match! Your insights into what we wanted to accomplish in this book were spot on and your valuable feedback made our story more poignant. Thank you for everything you did in helping us deliver our story to the world.
Thank you to Stephanie Siegel, Esther Zucker and Jackie Levin of NBC. You saw us as people first and a story second. Your professional approach helped us maintain our dignity while sharing our very personal story with the public. You are at the top of your profession.
We would not have been able to endure the challenges of this situation if it had not been for the love and support of our parents. It is the lessons we learned from you as children that shaped our choices of today. We both have talked about the moment when we realized you were not just our parents, but people. And, thankfully for us, you are the best kind of people. We can only hope that when our children are adults they have as much respect and love for us as we do you.
Family is where it all begins and our immediate and extended family is awesome. We are so fortunate to have so many relatives that care about us and support us through actions and prayer. We thank brothers, sisters, brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins and all of those family members who have gone before us. Your support carried us and your prayers lifted us. We will never forget.
This journey deeply challenged us on an emotional level. We would not be “getting through” without the assistance of our therapist, Dr. Kevin Anderson. Kevin, your kind-hearted spirit and ability to reign in our emotions to a place of meaning and respect, have only improved our lives. The lessons of love, compassion, and empathy have enriched us in a way that we could have never imagined.
We will be eternally grateful for the compassionate and top-notch care we received from Dr. Elizabeth Reid and her staff at Premier Women’s Health. We want you all to know that whenever we entered your office, we knew that you cherished Logan’s life as much as we did. We are positive that he would not be in this world today without your expertise.
We are also grateful to the entire medical team and staff at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center. You made sure that Logan entered this world safely, and honored our role in his life with humanity. His birth gave us the only moment we will ever have as his mom and dad, and your arrangements provided us with priceless memories. As healers, your care and love brought us dignity and comfort when we needed it most.
In our desperate search for a new fertility clinic and home for our embryos, we were lucky to find Dr. Robert Straub and the entire staff of Reproductive Biology Associates of Atlanta, Georgia. Thank you for taking such good care of us and Jennifer during our time in treatment.
We would also like to thank the faculty and staff of St. Johns Jesuit High School and St. Joseph School, Sylvania, for ministering to our boys throughout this journey. We are so appreciative of the way you kept the boys on track academically and anticipated their emotional needs during a very challenging time. We are truly blessed to have you as partners in educating our children.
Father Joseph Cardone was our first call after learning of our pregnancy with Logan. Fr. Cardone, you helped us calm our fears on a day that we found ourselves in a state of unimaginable shock. We truly appreciate the wisdom you imparted on us and we are also grateful for your ministry throughout our journey. We are lucky to call you a friend.
We had four gifted and caring attorneys that helped us navigate our way through a tangled web of communication, legal precedent, and critical decision making. Mary Smith, your care and concern with our emotional as well as legal well-being was very much appreciated. We couldn’t have prepared for what this pregnancy would bring us without the cool head and valuable insights of Marty Holmes Sr. Of course, our third call the evening of February 16, 2009, was to our trusted friend, Marty Holmes Jr. Marty you walked this journey with us long past Logan’s delivery as not only a valued attorney but more importantly, a friend. Thank you so much for your compassionate and smart advice, loyalty and support. Lastly, we were blessed to be under the competent care of Brian McKeen of McKeen and Associates. Brian, you cared about us first and the legal case second. You are at the top of your profession, and yet enthusiastically accessible at all times. We admire your strong convictions and the honorable way you advocate for your clients.
One of the greatest supports during the pregnancy came from a very special group of women…The Reliable Girls (Beth, Julie, Kim, Laurel, Lynn, Melissa, Nancy, Suzanne and Tracy). The fact that we met an unconventional manner is what had made our friendship and your support so special. You were always there, sometimes many times a day. We will be eternally grateful for your thoughtful counsel, and heartfelt compassion. Whatever you need, whenever you need it, just say the word!
Our friends are the best! We couldn’t have faced this challenge without them. We’d like to especially thank Ann Mancinotti, Tracy Kindl, Kathleen Nowak, Linda Steinberg, Rachel Kalas, Mary Jo Jacoby, Craig Bruning, Matt Dzierwa, Greg Periatt, Tony Desch, Dan Hartnett, Steve and Ellen Baugh, Mike and Anne White and the many other friends who helped and supported us. We love all of you.
There is not a doubt in our minds that Logan is loved by Paul and Shannon Morell. Paul and Shannon, we are incredibly grateful for the two visits we have had with Logan since his birth. The occasional updates and pictures that you send also bring us some much needed peace of mind. We know that this journey has been difficult for you. Even though we have no idea what the future holds for any of us, please know that you will always be welcome in our home. We wish only the best for your family.
The lights of our lives are Drew, Ryan, and Mary Kate. Kids, we love you more than words can say and we are grateful for the blessings you have brought into our lives. When times are tough, you have no idea how your successes, smiles, giggles, or calm conversations bring us peace and happiness. Your futures hold so much promise. We thank God every day for the gift of your lives.
About the Authors
CAROLYN AND SEAN SAVAGE’s story was covered widely when they gave birth to the baby boy in September 2009, including in People magazine and on The Today Show. In this book they are telling the entire story for the very first time. Sean and Carolyn live in Ohio with their two teenage sons and two-year-old daughter.
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Copyright
INCONCEIVABLE: A Medical Mistake, the Baby We Couldn’t Keep, and Our Choice to Deliver the Ultimate Gift. Copyright © 2010 by Carolyn Savage and Sean Savage. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Savage, Carolyn and Sean.
Inconceivable : a medical mistake, the baby we couldn’t keep, and our choice to deliver the ultimate gift / Carolyn and Sean Savage.—1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978–0–06–200463–5
1. Savage, Carolyn and Sean. 2. Fertilization in vitro, Human—Biography. 3. Surrogate mothers—Biography. I. Savage, Sean. II. Title.
RG135.S28 2010
362.1981’780599—dc22
2010027752
EPub Edition © January 2011 ISBN: 978-0-06-204189-0
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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