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Cathy Donnelly Pregnant: 58-Year-Old Grandmother Acting As Surrogate For Grandchild

Cathy Donnelly, 58-Year-Old London, Ontario Woman, Pregnant With Grandchild For Her Daughter
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For most women, carrying their own children is exciting enough — but for Cathy Donnelly of London, Ontario, she gets to experience the unique thrill of carrying her grandchild as well.

As reported by the London Free Press this week, the 58-year-old woman is six months pregnant with her grandchild, carrying the baby for her daughter, Shannon Fischer, who is unable to conceive.

“I just figured, ‘What’s nine months of my life?’ and they’re going to have a child for the rest of theirs,” Donnelly told QMI Agency.

Though Donnelly had already gone through menopause, fertility drugs for both her and Fischer allowed for a successful process, one which likely involved a donor egg and in vitro fertilization, according to EverydayHealth.com.

Donnelly isn't the first mother/grandmother to make such a later-in-life gesture toward her daughter — in fact, at a time when fertility issues are so prevalent, it's something that seems to be happening more often. Recently, 61-year-old Kristine Casey from Chicago, 49-year-old Linda Sirois of Maine and Sue Lucas, a woman in her "late 40s" from Lake Cowichan, B.C., all acted as surrogates for their grandchildren. There are likely many more stories that did not receive media attention.

For Donnelly, this grandchild — her seventh — was worth the potential health risks, such as high blood pressure and the increased risk of complications during delivery, notes the NHS website.

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