It is inspiring to learn the stories of individual success and the pursuit of dreams that come true. While few great tales are told without some degree of hardship, others seem hard to believe their pursuers had the strength and determination to sustain their objective. For many intended parents, the surrogacy journey is unto itself an inspirational, and at times difficult, path to make real the dream of creating their family. Verina Mathis-Crawford and Errol Crawford are no exception however, the inspiration that comes from their story goes beyond the precious gift surrogacy provided them.

The Gift of Michael
Verina and Errol Crawford are the, "very, very proud," parents of Michael Crawford a "kind, humble and caring young man..." whose life was cut too short at the age of twenty-one and a half. Michael was home on winter break, during his senior year atHampton University, when he suffered a cardiac arrest due to an undiagnosed, enlarged heart.

Growing up, Michael enjoyed playing many sports but found a particular affinity for lacrosse, AKA the Creator's Game. While several components made Hampton a fantastic choice for Michael, the lack of a lacrosse team was something he hoped to change. Michael wrote a proposal to the University to start a Men's Lacrosse Club but did not live to see his dream come true.

After Michael's passing, Verina created the strength and determination to make real her son's vision and establish his legacy. Verina worked with the University to get the ball rolling and found a superlative Coach in Lloyd Carter. The Hampton University Men's Lacrosse Club officially started in 2011. Four years later it became a NCAA Division I Team.

The Surrogacy Experience
Along their life journey the Crawford's decided they wanted to have another child. Carrying the pregnancy was not an option for Verina at this point. A piece she saw on "The Today Show" introduced the increasingly popular option of surrogacy through fertility financing. The Crawford's contacted Connecticut Fertility Associates (CFA) and explored what could be.

Once approved to begin the process, the Crawford's researched surrogacy agencies. Verina shared, "...there was something in the write-up for Worldwide Surrogacy LLC (WSS) that I felt could work for us. I then sent an email to Vicki Ferrara and her immediate reason and compassionate tone in the response further solidified my thinking this was the right place for us."  

Within two months, Verina and Errol were matched with their surrogate. According to Verina, the experience was very positive, "We were very blessed and fortunate with the supportive staff of the WSS surrogacy team." The Crawford's attended the majority of doctor visits and ultrasounds with the surrogate. They were present at the birth, along with the child's Godmother, Michael's significant other.

The Gift of Mariel
Mariel Crawford was born a healthy, beautiful baby weighing 7lbs. 8oz. on Friday, June 13, 2014 under a full moon. She was welcomed home from the hospital two days later on Father's Day. The family does maintain contact with their surrogate. She even brought her own family to attend Mariel's Christening. Mariel, now age 2, already knows Michael's name and face from his many pictures throughout their home. According to Verina, "We will try our very best to let her know she will always have a big brother that is her guardian angel."