Sisters Tess and Kate have always shared a close bond, but over the last year, that bond has grown stronger than either of them could have imagined.
After years of IVF treatments, Kate knew how deeply her younger sister Tess, and partner Martyn longed to become parents. Witnessing their struggle, Kate offered to be their surrogate.
Now, nine months later, their dream has finally come true. On Wednesday, 9 April 2025, Tess and Martyn welcomed baby Koa into the world, arriving safely at 12:55pm, weighing a healthy 3.18 kg, with the help of one truly amazing sister.
Kate says her decision to help Tess and Martyn came from watching their relationship with her children and wanting that for them as well.
“My own pregnancies were relatively easy, and if Tess needed an organ donated, I wouldn’t hesitate, so why not borrow my womb for nine months to help complete their little family.”
“I think for Kate and Koa, it will be a really special, unique relationship and a real attachment that they wouldn’t have got otherwise, and I’m so excited to see what that looks like as he grows,” explains Tess.
Both Kate and Tess describe their time at Frankston Hospital as amazing.
“We chose Frankton Hospital for Koa’s birth because they have a great reputation for surrogacy,” Kate said.
“We felt supported and validated, knowing they had experience with this type of birth, which was really important to us,” Tess added.
The new little family of three, along with Kate, looks forward to introducing baby Koa to the rest of their family in the coming week. Congratulations to them all on this beautiful new chapter.
