A woman from New York who welcomed twins has revealed one is her biological daughter while the other was conceived using a donor egg
Sandra Stodola and her husband, Jack, who is the biological father of both the twins, were born in February after spending four years trying to conceive with fertility treatment.
The couple spent $26,000 on five rounds of IVF.
Sandra told the Metro: “We tried with my eggs for four rounds of IVF but I was told my eggs were very poor quality.
“We were very lucky to get three full rounds of IVF covered by insurance, but they all failed.
“I wanted to stop but mentally it was hard. It was a big loss, I had named all of the previous seven embryos, and chosen nursery themes and I was grieving for what could have been.”
The couple spent another $20,000 on a fourth round using Sandra’s eggs paired with a donor egg but it didn’t work and the pair were near breaking point.
They decided to try one last time, spending another $6,000 on transferring a frozen embryo – their final hope – and amazingly it worked.
Six weeks later they discovered it was twins.
Sandra said: “Knowing we had used one of my eggs and one of the donor eggs, we knew then we would be unique.
“They are fraternal twins and half-sisters with different biological mothers and the same father. Some doctors we came across were blown away and nurses we told were amazed.
“We honestly feel so blessed and I will tell anyone who will listen to our story.”
The couple said they know which of their daughters is biologically theirs but they have chosen to keep that information to themselves.
Sandra was keen to share her story so she can raise awareness for others to speak out about their fertility issues.
She said: “I love sharing my experience. My goal is to make infertility as normal to talk about as any other part of motherhood.
“When I was going through it, I hated hearing people say to stay positive, it will happen when the time is right or cheer up, so I don’t say these things.
“I try to ask them what they need right now – to vent, to chat, or to shout? Don’t hide your emotions but don’t give up.”
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