One Act Can Change Everything

Our story begins with a young couple, Amy and Mike Harris, sitting down for breakfast. They were deciding what they were going to do that day when Mike got an idea.

"We could do some shopping," he said. "Maybe check out that new restaurant that just opened?"

Amy thought about it for a bit. Her eyes widened, "I know! How about we donate six embryos to a couple we've never met that's having trouble conceiving?"

"That was literally the next thing I was going to say!" said Mike, and the rest, as they say, is history.

OK, we admit we may have embellished Amy and Mike's conversation just a smidge, but what actually happened is still pretty remarkable!

What Actually Happened

Amy Harris and her daughter, Mali. "Every moment I spend with my kids is special and I try and never lose sight of that."

Amy and Mike both work for State Farm^®, and back in 2015, they were having difficulty starting a family. After countless visits to the doctor and even more disappointments, the couple began the In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) process. IVF is a long, complicated series of procedures – oversimplified, the mother's eggs are fertilized outside her body and the embryos are then implanted.

"It's an emotionally and physically draining process," said Amy, recalling all of the pills, shots and other medicines she had to take. The results were more than worth it, as the couple ended up with seven embryos. One of the embryos was implanted and the other six were frozen, in case the Harrises decided to further grow their family.

The couple had a "wonderfully uneventful" pregnancy and on March 16, 2016, their daughter, Mali Rae, was born. Now normally this is the part where we say "and they lived happily ever after," but our story takes an unexpected turn when, five months later, Amy realized she was pregnant again.

"Being pregnant again was great," said Amy. "Being pregnant without having to go through IVF again was almost unbelievable!"

Flash forward to May 17, 2017, when their son Casey was born. The couple was overjoyed, their family was complete and they couldn't believe their luck.

"Going from not being able to have a child to having two seemed almost too good to be true," Mike said.

One question remained, however: What were they going to do with the six other embryos that they'd kept?

One Act Can Change Everything

Amy and Mike thought about it a lot and decided since their family was complete, they'd help other couples who were trying to start a family.

"I know how terrible it was for us when we couldn't get pregnant," Amy said. "So if there was any way we could help, we were going to do it."

The couple found Snowflakes, an agency that works with donors and recipients on embryo adoption. After a long process that included blood tests, medical releases, countless pages of paperwork and "tons of legal jargon," the Harrises were matched with a couple in Georgia who adopted the embryos.

Two of the embryos were implanted and nine months later, the adoptive couple gave birth to a baby boy. The boy is a healthy, happy 2-year-old now, thanks in large part to the selfless acts of Amy and Mike.

"Seeing that baby and hearing how happy the parents were, it's truly unbelievable," said Mike.

But Wait, There's More!

Just when you think the story couldn't get any better – well, it does! This March, the adoptive mother is due to give birth to another baby, a little girl this time.

Amy and Mike stay in touch with the adoptive couple and continue to be overwhelmed by their gratitude.

"They've told us how we're the answer to all of their prayers," said Amy. "It's humbling, really.

"It's so incredible to be able to be a part of something so much bigger than yourself."