“I found my surrogate at the supermarket”
Chi-Chi Oronsaye feared she might never have a baby, then a new job offered a miracle…
When Chi-Chi Oronsaye started a job in a supermarket during last year’s lockdown, she could never have known how life-changing it would be. At the time she had been trying for a baby for eight years and endured four heartbreaking attempts at IVF.
But in spring 2020, she met fellow Morrisons employee Imaette Ben while packing shopping, and the pair quickly became close friends. Incredibly, Imaette soon offered to be her surrogate and the pair flew out to the Czech Republic for a girls’ holiday. And in addition to a spot of sightseeing, they visited a fertility clinic, where ChiChi’s embryo was transferred into Imaette’s womb.
“We had a girlie holiday to make a baby,” says Chi-Chi.
“Twelve days later I got to see a positive pregnancy test, all thanks to Imaette. She’s one of the most generous and selfless people I’ve ever known.”
FRIENDSHIP
Chi-Chi, 39, met Imaette, 27, when they both started working at the store near to where they both live in London in April last year. They struck up a friendship and, when a colleague made an insensitive remark about starting a family, Chi-Chi’s fertility struggles came to light.
She says, “A colleague said I should get a move on having children. She had no idea that me and my husband Joseph had been trying for eight years, but Imaette overheard the exchange and could see how sad I was, so she texted that evening to check I was OK. We ended up chatting about my fertility struggles and I told her we were considering surrogacy. After that, she was a great support.”
Chi-Chi and highways engineer Joseph, 39, had started trying for a family after their wedding in 2012, but she suffered a miscarriage and then struggled to conceive again. The NHS waiting lists were long and, conscious of her age, the couple went private, spending over £30,000 having four rounds of IVF in the Czech Republic. But to their despair, the treatment failed.
She says, “None of the embryos ever took, I never saw another blue line on a pregnancy test. After each failed attempt, we’d be so gutted we’d be in tears. We were advised to consider surrogacy, so I began to research it.”
BOMBSHELL
After Chi-Chi confided in Imaette about her struggles, the pair formed a close friendship. And when lockdown restrictions eased last July, they treated themselves to a girlie afternoon tea, bonding over a shared love of travelling and shopping. It was then that Imaette – who is single and has a three-year-old daughter – dropped a bombshell.
Chi-Chi says, “She said she wanted to help us have a baby, and offered to be our surrogate. I was so bowled over, I didn’t believe her at first. It was only three months since we’d met packing shopping at the checkout! But she said she’d given it a lot of thought. She didn’t want any money and said that it would be her gift to us. It was such a selfless offer.”
Over the next few weeks, Chi-Chi, Imaette and Joseph met up several times to talk it through.
“At first I worried she might change her mind,” admits Chi-Chi. “But I trusted her
IT WAS ONLY THREE MONTHS SINCE WE MET PACKING SHOPPING AT THE CHECKOUT – BUT SHE SAID SHE HAD GIVEN IT A LOT OF THOUGHTT AND IT WAS HER GIFT TO US
implicitly and I knew she wasn’t taking this lightly. I also knew she didn’t want another child of her own.”
EXCITED
On 27 August, the two women boarded a plane to the Czech Republic. There they went to Clinic Olomouc, where one of Chi-Chi’s previously frozen embryos was implanted into Imaette’s womb.
Chi-Chi says, “I held Imaette’s hand and we saw a tiny flash on the screen as the embryo was implanted. She was so excited, but after so much heartache I didn’t want to get my hopes up.
“On the flight home we spotted a beautiful rainbow from the plane window and Imaette said perhaps it was a sign the transfer had worked.”
And she was right – 12 days later Imaette did a pregnancy test at Chi-Chi’s house.
“When she handed me the positive test I just cried and cried, then I hugged her,” says Chi-Chi.
None of their colleagues at the supermarket knew about the surrogacy plans, but as Imaette’s bump grew, the friends attended scans together and even threw a joint baby shower.
On 8 May this year, Imaette was induced at St Thomas’ Hospital in London and Chi-Chi was by her side. Finally, with just three pushes, Seth arrived into the world. Weighing
7lbs 2oz, he was the baby boy that Chi-Chi and Joseph had always dreamed of.
“I saw Seth’s head of jet-black hair, then I cried so much I couldn’t even hold him at first,” says Chi-Chi. “Even the midwives were crying, it was such a special moment. I cut his cord in floods of tears, then kept hugging Imaette and thanking her. I was so grateful.”
Now, Chi-Chi and Joseph are getting used to all the longedfor nappy changes and night feeds, with a little extra help from “Auntie Imaette”.
EXTENDED FAMILY
“We’re like one big, extended family now, we’ll be friends for life,” says Chi-Chi.
“We call Imaette Seth’s auntie and her daughter adores him. We’re already making plans for family holidays, too. I can’t believe I found my surrogate in a supermarket! I’m so lucky Imaette came in to my life. And when Seth is old enough, we’ll tell him everything.”
Imaette says, “I offered to be Chi-Chi’s surrogate because I knew she would be an amazing mother and I wanted to help give her that opportunity. She didn’t believe me at first – she was so shocked! I don’t think Joseph believed me either. I had to convince them I was serious.
“Even when I was pregnant it never felt like Seth was my child – always theirs. When strangers stopped me to coo over my bump, I would always say, ‘The baby isn’t mine, I’m carrying him for my friend.’ That surprised a few people.
“When I gave birth it was such an incredibly lovely moment, I was just happy for Chi-Chi. She’s so special and I feel so privileged that I was able to help her become a mummy.”