Words: Hailey Brenden
Baby Arabella is a gift. Born on Christmas Eve in 2023, her name was intentionally chosen because it means “answered prayer”. Her name fits perfectly when you learn the story of how Arabella came into this world. Her mother, Rachelle, shares the journey – which includes IVF, medical challenges, a surrogate, learning to trust God in a deeper way, and more. You’ll want to read on to discover how this sweet miracle came to be.
Rachelle and her husband, Chad, have been attending First Lutheran Church (FLC) since 2015. When they first started dating, they tried out many churches, but connected the most with FLC. “Everyone was so friendly,” says Rachelle. “Every Sunday there was a great message that we would remember and apply to our week.”
Rachelle and Chad were married in 2015. Coming into the union, Rachelle was excited to gain a stepdaughter named Haley. Early on, the couple was eager to grow their family.
This dream of having more children proved to be a challenge and led them down the road of infertility. “It was really hard,” says Rachelle. “There were many struggles, but I think our faith really helped us through it.” Chad reminded her that God was in control and encouraged Rachelle to focus on that truth throughout the process.
After over a year of trying with no success, it was recommended that they try IVF and were referred to an IVF clinic in Minneapolis.
This led to their first miracle when Rachelle became pregnant in January 2017. Their first son, Owen, was born on October 16, 2017. Rachelle’s lifelong dream to become a mom had come true!
Rachelle and Chad were so grateful to have a healthy boy, but after the birth Rachelle faced health complications related to the pregnancy. Five weeks after Owen was born Rachelle was taken by ambulance to the hospital for postpartum hemorrhaging. The procedure that saved Rachelle also caused scarring that made getting pregnant again even more difficult. “That was stressful,” says Rachelle. “I felt so blessed that we were able to have a baby, but I also wanted Owen to have a sibling close in age.”
A procedure was done to repair the scarring and the couple was blessed with another miracle. Rachelle became pregnant with baby number two in 2019.
Rachelle had a healthy pregnancy until around 33 weeks when she started to feel unwell. One night, she decided to take her blood pressure and discovered it was extremely high. The next day she went to the hospital, was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, and was told that she needed to deliver the baby early.
Their second son, Christian, made his way into the world early, but safely, that same week on November 12, 2019.
The couple was overjoyed to have two sons. Yet Rachelle faced more health challenges following baby number two. About a year after Christian’s birth, Rachelle started to experience lots of pain and was told she had a hernia likely brought on by her pregnancies. She had the hernia fixed but continued to be in chronic pain. Despite these continued struggles, Rachelle and Chad desired to try and have one more child.
Doctors initially told them it would be safe, so they moved forward with their plans to implant their last embryo. During this process, they also consulted with Mayo Clinic about Rachelle’s chronic pain and received some disheartening news. Rachelle had additional hernias. They told her due to the location of the hernias, getting pregnant could compromise the second repair of the hernias and she could face further complications.
Rachelle felt confused about what to do next but couldn’t stop thinking about their last embryo. “I told my husband that it felt like somebody was missing,” says Rachelle.
“I was grateful for the family we already had, but I couldn’t leave that baby behind.” Chad agreed and told her that they would find a way and that God would show them what that way would be.
“The way” ended up being a road called surrogacy.
A road they knew nothing about. Some people expressed that it was quite an endeavor to go on for just one embryo, but they forged ahead. Hopeful.
Their journey led them to Midwest Surrogacy in Moorhead where they looked for a match. Both the couple and surrogate need to choose each other to proceed. Rachelle trusted God would guide them through this process.
Around Christmas of 2022 they were matched with a possible surrogate named Codi. Rachelleand Chad met Codi and her husband for dinner. It was an instant connection!
They talked for hours and felt like they were on a date night with the couple. Rachelle remembers being inspired by the couple’s strong faith and the supportive relationship they had with each other.
Rachelle also found comfort knowing Codi had carried one other surrogate baby, so she knew the process. “She was like an angel sent from God for us,” says Rachelle.
It turned out feelings between the couples were mutual – they officially matched!
On the day of the embryo transfer Rachelle woke up feeling optimistic. She told Chad, “I feel like God’s got this.” Together they said a prayer: “God, let your will be done, whatever it is. Regardless, we know our baby will be in good hands.”
Nine days later, the prayer was answered: they were pregnant!
Rachelle is grateful for the amazing experience they had with their surrogate and her family. She messaged Rachelle throughout the pregnancy to include her. “She’d tell me things like – oh, she loves blueberries, those really got her kicking, or someone has hiccups in my belly today,” says Rachelle. “It made it so special for me.”
Arabella arrived on December 24, 2023 – the perfect gift for her family that Christmas. “I just look at her every day and I’m so thankful she’s here,” says Rachelle.
Her baptism was also a day full of gratitude. Prior to Codi becoming pregnant with Arabella, Rachelle remembers going to FLC services and watching baptisms. She would hope and pray that they’d be able to have one more child. “Her baptism was such a special day,” says Rachelle. “I cried so much because I was so thankful she was here.”
It’s been a difficult journey to build a family, but Rachelle believes there was a greater purpose, and her faith has been strengthened. “I learned to let Jesus and God take the wheel,” says Rachelle. “I wanted to be in control so much, but I realized sometimes when you let go, God will take you more beautiful places than you can imagine.” Today Rachelle and Chad are so thankful for all the prayers and support they received throughout their journey. They are even dreaming of ways they can use their story to help others – exploring the possibility of creating a nonprofit to make surrogacy and other fertility efforts more accessible.
A beautiful story. A beautiful answer to prayer: Arabella. A beautiful witness to what can happen when we choose to surrender our plans for our lives to God. He always knows the way.
