Australian Story: Tonight (ABC TV Monday 15 May 2023)

Australian Story: Tonight airs Monday 15 May 2023 on ABC TV.

It’s not often that a mum agrees to have her daughter’s baby. However, 52-year-old Jasmina gave her daughter Michelle Harley that as a present.

“I certainly didn’t expect that at the age of 52, I’d be carrying my grandchild,” Jasmina tells Australian Story. “They need an oven, and I have to cook it.”

“Number one, it is so weird watching your Mum be pregnant with your child,” admits Michelle. “This whole process has brought us so much closer together.”

Jasmina wasn’t the only surrogate Michelle and Jono Harley used. Sophie, Jono’s sister, is a mother of three and has stepped up to help the infertile couple.

Since commercial surrogacy is prohibited in Australia, surrogacy can only occur through a willing donor.

“There are a lot of people who do not find a surrogate,” their doctor, Lionel Reyftmann, says. “So, the fact that they came up not with one, but with two… that was completely unexpected.”

“There’s been, ‘How’s your sister pregnant with your baby? Just how does that function?! “, jokes Jono.

Michelle became pregnant in 2021 thanks to IVF, but she tragically lost her unborn son at 19 weeks. Jasmina and Sophie decided to aid the couple at that point.

Michelle and Jono, both 31, recently welcomed twin sons, and they named the first Hugo Jay (with a “J” for Michelle’s sister Jasmina) and the second Spencer Louis (for Sophie’s middle name, Louise).

The couple wants to start a dialogue about infertility and the difficulties and traumas associated with it, so they are sharing their story.

“It’s important to talk about…not only the good that’s come from the story, but the loss that we had as well,” Jono says. “To let people know that these things happen to people. There’s no point just sweeping that under the rug.”

Michelle, a mother for five months, feels an abundance of gratitude.

“Without Sophie and Jasmina, we wouldn’t have a family. So, is there an emotion big enough to explain how you feel, how thankful you are?”

Australian Story: Tonight airs Monday 15 May 2023 at 8.00pm on ABC TV

Featured Image Credit: ABC TV