When you struggle to get pregnant, it can be a very lonely and sobering path to be on. There are times that you don’t think there will be a happy ending.

But for some, they are able to find a way to have a child, even if that means thinking outside the box.

For Kelsi Pierce, she would need someone to be a surrogate for her and her husband. But the cost for that, more than $100,000, left them turning to a surprising source: Kelsi’s own mother, Lisa. 

What followed though, was even more surprising than they could have imagined. And it all started with a simple date. 

Lisa Rutherford, left, and her daughter, Kelsi Pierce. Photo courtesy of Kelsi Pierce

Kelsi and her husband, Kyle Pierce, met at a bar, while watching a hockey game. A simple bet, the couple told Insider, led to their first date – the loser would take the winner on a date.

“Our teams — the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks — are rivals,” Pierce said. “We met and Kyle made a bet, saying that whoever’s team lost would take the other on a date. My team won and the rest is kind of history!”

The couple spent three years struggling to get pregnant. Pierce, who was 31 at the time, tried everything, including visits to fertility clinics. But the doctors did not have good news for the couple.

“They told me that my ovarian reserve was very low, so the number and quality of my eggs were not good,” Pierce said.

We also found out that both of my fallopian tubes were blocked.” 

Despite successfully having five embryos removed during IVF, the couple were told that Pierce was unable to carry a baby to term.

“I was completely devastated,” she said. “I had always wanted to be a mom. We always had hope, even after every failed treatment, so to hear that nothing would work was so hard. It was very depressing.”

Lisa Rutherford knew she wanted to help her daughter’s dreams of motherhood come true.

“It was so important for me to help Kelsi and Kyle realize their dream of becoming parents because of how much my husband and I have loved being parents,” Rutherford said. 

After Rutherford’s doctor cleared her medically, she had an embryo implanted. Days later, she was pregnant.

Kelsi Pierce holds her daughter, Ava. Photo courtesy of Kelsi Pierce

Thrilled, Pierce couldn’t wait to become a mom. But four short weeks later, despite no longer being on fertility drugs, she had finally gotten pregnant.

I was completely surprised,” she said. “Especially after trying so many things, for so long, and nothing ever working.”

The mom and daughter bonded over their pregnancies, having joint cravings, as well as baby showers.

“It was an awesome experience,” Rutherford said. “Not only was I so excited for Kelsi to be able to carry a baby, but it was so fun to share our experiences with each other.” 

Kelsi and Kyle Pierce hold their daughters, Ava and Everly. Photo courtesy of Kelsi Pierce

However, blood pressure complications in late October led to Rutherford having a C-section at 36 weeks out of caution. The early delivery led to Everly’s lungs not being fully developed.

“Her birth was scary because she didn’t cry or have any color and all the nurses and doctors were rushing around trying to get her to breathe,” Pierce said. The newborn was transferred to a NICU hospital.

“The next day we got to hold her, and it was an amazing feeling!” Pierce said. “She progressed quickly in the NICU and we got to bring her home on my birthday five days later.” 

Four short weeks later, Pierce delivered Ava, and Everly became a slightly older sister.

With the family together at home, and Rutherford fitting nicely into her role as grandma, the Pierces’ feel complete. 

“It feels incredible to finally be a mom,” Pierce said. “It feels surreal as well. I just love to hold them and stare at them, they are just so perfect.”

Watch below for a look at the amazing babies!

Sources: Insider | Good Morning America