Dear Rose: Adam

We wanted to share with you, I guess, some information around why we created the storybooks. So as an introduction, we after five years of trying, we decided to have to go down the donor egg route. And we decided to do anonymous donor eggs in Spain. It was a tough decision but at the same time we were up for it. At the end of this process we now have a beautiful one year old child she’s great, Rosie.

Although anonymous donor eggs worked for us at the time, I think after everything we know now we probably would have done it differently; but saying that we love Rosie to bits. But her not having access to half of her genetic history is something you really need to think about.

So through that process we chose to go through counselling and as part of that counselling process the counsellor who was great suggested that as Rosie wouldn’t have the connection to half of her genetic history we decided to connect her to the story. Which we thought was great advice and we created this story book to really do that.

So when were we are at now is that we do show this to Rosie and we plan on keeping on showing this to Rosie but a good benefit of this process also was that our friends and family who have seen this story really have connected to our story and the reason for us doing this as well. So here we go.

Text: Dear Rosie - Our journey to meet you. It started in Alicante, Spain.

This is your dad. He’s off the plane just arriving in Alicante. Yeah. Text: You were made in love; and sun and beach.

So here we are in Alicante and were done on the beach; Fireworks tonight. Hello, here’s your Dad. Yeah, fireworks. Everyone’s around. It’s massive; pretty big atmosphere. Pretty warm too, which is nice. It’s a bit hot. There’s the beach. We’re hoping for some fireworks soon well check in with you soon.

Text: And music and dancing. And we needed some help from some doctors, Lara (This is Lara) and our beautiful Spanish egg donor.

Hi. This is a message for our son or daughter. It is the eighth of August 2012 and we’re in Alicante, Spain and were just about to go to the Institute to collect you. You’re a little embryo right now, you’ve got a little embryo and there could be four embryos! We’re hoping there’s going to be one child. And we can’t wait to meet you. I love you. I love you already.

Text: Your Dad can’t wait to meet you. He’s pretty funny. Neither can your Mum. She’s a bit of a goose too. We were living in London. We got the exciting news. And you grew week by week in your mummy’s tummy- Week 16, Week 20, Week 32, Week 38. And now you’re here! Rose Bailey Hopkins 03/05/2013. And we love you to bits. Lots of love Mum and Dad xxx.