Wish alum Brittney is celebrating her first Mother’s Day this year - not by looking down at her growing belly – but by expressing her utmost admiration for a woman who is carrying her unborn baby.

“She is helping to make me a mom,” exclaims Brittney. “That is something I knew wasn’t possible on my own.”

Brittney was born with a critical heart condition and grew up understanding her illness would limit her, including the reality of safely carrying a baby. She was told by doctors that if she got pregnant, her heart condition could worsen, along with a risk for late-term miscarriage. After marrying her husband, Pete, her curiosity about motherhood grew, and she turned to other moms diagnosed with the same condition to hear about their journeys.

“There weren’t great stories or outcomes from these women, so I was really sad. I knew I wanted to be a mom ever since I was young and taking care of my dolls,” Brittney said. “But the reality was sinking in that I would be risking my life or the life of my unborn baby. I knew I had to look at other options.”

Brittney and Pete decided to explore surrogacy. When New York State changed their laws to increase financial support for IVF, the couple went through the process of creating embryos. At the same time, they were communicating with a woman named Becca, who Brittney met through an online surrogacy group and quickly built a strong bond with.

“Becca told me that she wanted to be a surrogate for the right situation, and all of the stars were aligning. She is absolutely incredible,” Brittney said. “She really listened and understood our story and was honored to help us in that walk to become parents.”

Becca is due early September with the couple’s son - wildly enough on the exact same day of Brittney’s Nana’s birthday – a woman who influenced her life greatly. The couple is naming him Asher Blake after Brittney’s younger brother, Blake, also a wish alum, who tragically passed away from cancer as a teen.

She chose the name Asher, because it means “happy,” the feeling this child will bring to their home and their family.

“Blake will be his middle name, so his Uncle Blake is always remembered,” Brittney said. “My family has gone through so much, losing Blake and with all of my medical battles, but this entire journey has been about hope and optimism. This is the first grandchild, and when I think of our pregnancy journey, it’s pure happiness.”

Brittney adds that her outlook on life has changed since that positive pregnancy test. She wants to use her situation to encourage other women, fighting their own battles, to know that not every pregnancy story is the same, but the result is a true miracle.

“I felt like I became a mom as soon as those embryos were made,” she said. “We, as moms, have such a responsibility to spread hope and love in every situation. So, if I can help others understand surrogacy and feel not so intimidated by it, then I can help create some of that hope others need.”