Toni Street’s best friend now her surrogate
Kiwi media darling Toni Street is expecting her third child thanks to the ‘‘special and selfless’’ offer of a high-flying New Plymouth business woman.
On Friday, Street announced on Instagram that her childhood friend Sophie Braggins was pregnant with a baby boy and due in August after making an offer to be a surrogate for her and husband Matt France.
Braggins is the newly appointed chief executive of New Plymouth’s Govett Qulliam law firm, chairs the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce and co-owns Renown PR, a public relations firm with a focus on representing small businesses.
Offering to carry her best friend’s baby was an ‘‘easy decision’’ for Braggins, who has two children with husband Michael Braggins.
Tight since intermediate school, Braggins and Street went to the same university and had also flatted together in the past.
‘‘We’ve always had a really close relationship,’’ Braggins said.
She was also very aware of how Street had suffered with health problems related to her ChurgStrauss diagnosis, which is a lifethreatening auto-immune disease.
‘‘I did know what she was going through and it was pretty horrendous.’’ So when Street was told she would not be able to carry another child, Braggins stepped in to help. She said the unflinching support of her husband and parents made her offer to Street possible.
‘‘There were lots of little miracles that had to happen along the way,’’ Braggins added.
She said Street and France only had one viable embryo for implantation following the IVF process. ‘‘They only had one shot at it and it happened.’’
Braggins admitted she felt a bit of pressure during the early stages of pregnancy but ‘‘was just thrilled it all happened.’’
Despite some morning sickness, Braggins felt much better and remained 100 per cent committed to her professional roles.
‘‘It’s business as usual for me.’’ In Street’s social media post, she said the pregnancy news was ‘‘exciting’’ for her family, which includes daughters Juliette, 5, and Mackenzie, 2. ‘‘We’re incredibly blessed to have my childhood friend Sophie Braggins carry our precious bundle for us, and to have the unwavering support of her husband Michael.’’