I gave birth to my own grandchild ...she should, too

ONE of the first surrogate mothers in the UK to give birth to her own grandchild has backed the couple’s bid to continue their daughter’s legacy.

Annie Casserley acted as a surrogate for her daughter Emma ten years ago after she was diagnosed with a rare lung condition that meant pregnancy could be fatal.

Emma is still alive – although on the transplant list. Mrs Casserley’s granddaughter, also named Annie, is now nine. All three are pictured here soon after the birth.

Mrs Casserley, from the West Midlands, said of the new case: ‘It’s a way of keeping their daughter alive, isn’t it? That’s what they must be thinking. It’s like creating an extension of their child. They’ve lost their daughter. It’s heartbreaking.

‘It depends on the woman’s health but if that was her daughter’s wish and she wants to honour that wish then it’s absolutely her choice.

‘If you can keep a part of your child alive, anyone would do it, wouldn’t they? My heart goes out to them.’

Mrs Casserley, now 62, said she had ‘no regrets – not one’ about carrying her daughter’s child, and that she treated her no differently to her other three grandchildren.

‘Even if I’d died in the process I wouldn’t have regretted it. It was an absolute privilege. The only stipulation was I didn’t want to give birth so I had a caesarean under general anaesthetic.

‘When I came round, my daughter was sitting beside me, smiling, with Annie in her arms. I was at home, straight back to normal, two days later.

‘I just grew her. I’d do anything for my daughter, and this was just one of those things you do for your children.’