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Holladay couple shares emotional story on their journey to conceive

Posted at 10:08 PM, Nov 11, 2014
and last updated 2014-11-12 00:12:24-05

SALT LAKE COUNTY -- Millions of Women face the silent struggle of infertility.

A strong spirited Utah couple takes you on their six-year journey to pregnancy, opening up their lives for the world to see their challenges, heartache and triumph in hopes of giving others promise.

Mary Ann and Morgan Horne of Holladay, like so many other married couples just wanted a family but they soon discovered a difficult, rocky road filled with failure over and over again until they met their match.

It was a moment that changed the course of their lives and renewed hope that was once lost.

It's a video documenting a story about the hardships of infertility.  Mary Ann Horne holds up a sign saying, "The past four years my husband Morgan and I have been battling the obstacle of Infertility. I was ready to give up on my dreams of having a little mini Mary or a little mini Morgan."

The Hornes only meant to share the video with their closest friends and family who had been part of their long and brutal battle to pregnancy.

For six years, the couple longed for a baby and answers as to why it was so hard to conceive.

"I felt really lost and confused," Mary Ann Horne said.

Doctors told Mary Ann Horne symptoms of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and a blood clotting disorder were the reason for her inability to conceive.

According to the Center for Disease Control, Mary Ann Horne is among the 7.4 million women in the United States who need help with infertility.

"Not a lot of people were talking about it. I didn't know very many people. I felt really alone and scared," Mary Ann Horne said.

The couple’s only hope was in vitro fertilization. United in strength and love, the Hornes began their journey into unchartered territory.

"Physically it's really hard. Three weeks you're doing three shots a day, and on top of oral medication. We're doing shots in the morning, shots at night. Time specific, right to the dot," Morgan Horne said.

May Ann Horne’s tiny frame bore the brunt and burden of hormones, medication and a hematoma that nearly debilitated her.

"I got so bloated it actually looked like I was six months pregnant. So I was like this little person with a belly -- but instead of a baby being in there, I just am full of these follicles that are over stimulated and so painful," Mary Ann Horne said.

Morgan Horne said it was horrible.

"It's one of the worst things ever to watch her to go through," he said.

After a half a dozen failed IVF's and $65,000 in debt, The Hornes had almost lost all hope. The two didn't know where or who to turn to until they met the Wambolds of Eagle Mountain.

"She was an instant friend, someone that I just connected with and knew that we were supposed to meet for some reason," Ian Wambold said of Mary Ann Horne.

It was Ian's wife, Jenifer who was willing to give Mary Ann Horne her womb.

Mary Ann Horne and Ian Wambold met at a company shoot two years ago and it wasn't long before they knew why their families were brought together.

“She describes it as this cosmic connection and I think that's true. I think it's something I was meant to do and help her with," said Jenifer Wambold.

"When you have someone like Jen and Ian that's willing to help, you're speechless," Morgan Horne said.

The road to gestational surrogacy wouldn't be smooth.

The couple's embryos were transplanted inside Jenifer last November but Mary Ann and Morgan Horne were left with another bout of heartache.

"That was really hard for me. It was so painful," Mary Ann Horne said.

Jenifer lost the baby. It would almost another year before Mary Ann Horne could muster up the courage to go through another round of egg retrieval.

"I didn't want to have to go through all the shots and all the hormones. It is just so hard on your body and your mind, your spirit," Mary Ann Horne said.

But her spirit with Morgan Horne by her side found the strength to try again.

The Wambolds were also willing with three girls of their own to put their family through the roller-coaster of emotions too.

"I would be lying if I said it wasn't hard for us to deal with that. Any pregnancy causes a little change in the family dynamic, but to see what she's doing and giving, giving a year out of her life is amazing," Ian Wambold said.

And in a twist of fate, Jenifer Wambold’s reason why only grew bigger.

"We found out one of our girls is going, she might have a hard time becoming pregnant on her own, and it then became that was something so much more personal to me," Jenifer Wambold said.

A story that began in sadness ends with the gift of life. Mary Ann and Morgan Horne are having a girl.

"To be able to see an end in sight and be able to see a little baby girl in there is everything that we wished for," Morgan Horne said.

"I want to tell women not to give up, no matter how hard it may seem," Mary Ann Horne said.

Their gestational surrogate originally had two tiny heartbeats, twins but she lost one. The other, a baby girl survived and is thriving inside Jenifer's belly.

Mary Ann says she has a feeling the other baby will be back. Their baby is due April 15, 2015.

"The relationship that Mary and I have, we're fighters and we don't give up," Morgan Horne said.