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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

I gave birth to my twin brother's baby and saved his life in the process

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Ellie Freeman donated an egg and acted as a surrogate for her twin brother Adam Braitberg and his husband Omer Kuchman to help them have a child.
  • The decision followed Adam's cancer diagnosis, which made carrying a pregnancy impossible for him.
  • Freeman underwent a colonoscopy before the surrogacy process due to concerning blood test results, revealing 21 polyps that could have become cancerous.

Ellie Freeman describes a profound act of love and sacrifice, donating an egg and serving as a surrogate for her twin brother, Adam Braitberg, and his husband, Omer Kuchman, to help them start a family.

I'm here for you, forever.

— Ellie FreemanEllie's supportive words to her twin brother Adam when he came out as gay.

The twins, who grew up in a close-knit Jewish family in suburban Melbourne, Australia, have maintained a strong bond despite geographical separation. Adam, who moved overseas and recently returned to Australia, shared his coming out story with Ellie at 19, receiving immediate support. "I'm here for you, forever," Ellie told him, proud of his self-acceptance.

We were a very close-knit Jewish family.

— Adam BraitbergAdam describes his upbringing and family background.

When Adam and Omer, who have been together for four years, decided to have a child, the conversation naturally turned to family involvement. Initially, their eldest sister, Jess, offered to be both a surrogate and egg donor. However, Australian law prohibits individuals from fulfilling both roles simultaneously. This led to Ellie stepping in, happily agreeing to be the surrogate while Jess donated the egg.

Hang on, Ellie, this is the lowest your ferritin has ever been; you shouldn't be this low.

— Ellie's husbandEllie's husband expresses concern over her blood test results, prompting further medical investigation.

Tragically, the journey took a serious turn when Ellie's husband, a gastroenterologist, noticed unusually low ferritin levels in her blood during routine tests for the surrogacy. He insisted on further investigation, leading to a colonoscopy and gastroscopy that uncovered 21 polyps in her colon. These polyps carried the risk of developing into cancer, highlighting the critical timing of the discovery and Ellie's own health scare amidst her selfless act.

Shit, he's got cancer

— Ellie FreemanEllie's reaction upon learning about the discovery of polyps during her medical tests.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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