Update: Two Sassy Sisters Continue a Surrogacy Agency in Colorado – and Beyond!
A few years ago, the original inspiration for this post started like this:
When people first discover that Ellen and I are sisters, the reaction is always strong and almost always the same. There are a few awkward moments of looking back and forth between us to determine if they *truly* believe us. The next statement is usually their decision as to whether they think we look alike (we’re sisters, not twins!). The final statement is frequently: “That’s amazing. I could *never* work with my sister.”
I actually can’t update a word of that because it’s still true! Although, admittedly, people who know us well also question if we are truly sisters. Case in point, Ellen bought me a DNA testing kit for Christmas this year and then spent a solid month as we waited for results telling me I was adopted (Spoiler alert, I’m not. Nor would it have been a big deal if I was because I know she and my family would love me the same – and I them. We actually had no dramatic reveals of long-lost relatives we didn’t know of. It was decidedly boring.). It still goes to show that no one in this world has permission to give me as hard of a time than she does (and the reverse is true!), and there is still no one I trust more deeply to have my back when things get tough. Ellen is my biggest cheerleader and supporter, and I am hers. I know that she’ll forgive me for any transgression I make, and she knows that I will bring her Girl Scout Cookies from her niece.
Just as our family lives have grown and changed over the years, so has our business. What started as Colorado Surrogacy grew to a new name in Bright Futures Families, LLC and added Montana Surrogacy, New Mexico Surrogacy, New England Surrogacy and Texas Surrogacy. We still hold firm and strong in our ideals in each new state, that we need to have a strong advocate on the ground, ready to support as needed locally, but we also want to be able to help more people achieve their perfect match and grow their families in more locations. We’re extraordinarily fortunate to have Marsha Bucanek in Texas leading the charge!
We now somehow find time for a true labor of love; a weekly podcast called I Want to Put a Baby in You. Yes, really. It gives us a chance to explore all stories in the Assisted Reproductive Technology realm, the area we love and are so passionate about. As an added bonus, it gives us time to catch up each week and the outtakes behind the scenes would probably be epically funny (or, more likely, only we would think so as we laugh loudest at our own jokes.). All humor aside, it allows us to share stories that help people feel like they aren’t so alone on their infertility journey.
Our core personalities haven’t changed one bit. Ellen is still outgoing, compassionate and wildly smart. I haven’t stopped being introverted, organized and detail oriented. But none of those are bad qualities and at the end of the day, between us, no stone will have been left unturned (and who are we kidding? There is no end of the day. Neither of us sleeps.).
Most importantly, we still feel strongly that everyone has the right to the family they want, and we are passionate about our surrogacy matching services as a result. We know that no one comes to surrogacy lightly or because it is their first choice. Most come to us because it is their last shot at achieving their dream of a family. We work hard to make certain that a difficult burden is made all that much lighter and as easy as possible. We are grateful for the trust placed in us and look forward to continuing to fulfill dreams and hold Texas-grown babies.