Courtesy of Jaclyn Fieberg
It took a trio of sisters to bring little Emersyn Fieberg into this world last month.
“Do you have a sister or best friend that you really love? If you saw them struggling, what would you do?” Stephanie Corritori, who acted as her sister’s surrogate, tells PEOPLE. When it comes to “people that you love,” she says going the extra mile is the only option.
Elementary school teacher Jaclyn Fieberg, 38, of Katonah, New York, went through years of heartbreak and trials to start her family, undergoing seven failed IVF attempts and three miscarriages.
Although the initial genetic testing she and her husband Greg Fieberg, 45, underwent didn’t reveal any issues, throughout their journey, she learned she had mosaic Turner syndrome, a chromosomal condition thataffected her fertility and ability to carry a child.
The news was devastating. At one point, looking out for her physical and mental health, her husband wondered if it wasn’t time to put an end to their efforts.
“He hated seeing me go through this. He’s a protector,” Fieberg says. “I was deteriorating each time it didn’t happen.”
Emersyn Fieberg with dad Greg and mom Jaclyn Fieberg.Courtesy of Jaclyn Fieberg
But her sisters, who had gone through their own hard times having children, knew there was at least one last avenue to take before giving up: each other.
Corritori, 40, went through IVF with her first child, now 6, before having a second child without fertility intervention. And little sister Meredith McIntyre, 34, endured a miscarriage within weeks of Fieberg in 2020.
While Fieberg struggled to get pregnant again, McIntyre became pregnant with twin boys, who were born in July 2021. She says it was a pregnancy journey they both should have been on. And she felt it was a particularly cruel twist for her to welcome twins.
“As painful as it probably was for her, she was always a good sister who supported me, asking me about my pregnancy and doctor visits,” McIntyre says. “I remember a specific moment trying not to cry at our parents’ house as I was feeding one twin and she was feeding the other. I thought this is so not fair because we were supposed to be doing this together.”
Proud grandparents Brian and Barbara Prato with newest grandchild Emersyn.Courtesy of Jaclyn Fieberg
Togetherness is the hallmark of the family. Parents Brian, 67, and Barbara Prato, 64, live in the same home the girls grew up in. And all four of their daughters live within a few miles of each other. Their youngest daughter Samantha, 31, who is single, provided the cheerleading to support her older sisters.
“The girls have always been close, and they were raised that way,” Barbara tells PEOPLE. ”I’m one of four girls as well, and we were all very close — still are. I tell them, ‘Your sisters are your sisters. They will always be there for you.’ ”
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And when Fieberg made the decision to pursue surrogacy and egg donation, that’s exactly what happened.
“I would tell her, ‘If I can give my eggs, I’ll give my eggs. If I can carry, I’ll carry,’ " she recalls. “I’d do anything.”
Unfortunately, Corritori’s eggs were not viable for transfer. “At this point, I’m wondering how much devastation can you endure,” Fieberg says.
That’s when McIntyre volunteered to be the donor.
To bring the family affair full circle, after the transfer took place, the couple found out they were pregnant on a very special date: the sisters' mom’s birthday.
Sisters Stephanie Corritori, Jaclyn Fieberg and Meredith McIntyre.Courtesy of Jaclyn Fieberg
And it was five days before Corritori’s scheduled c-section when Emersyn decided to make an early appearance.
“My water broke while I was volunteering in my daughter’s classroom with a bunch of first graders,” Corritori says. “I ran out of the classroom and Emersyn came about four or five hours later.”
It was enough time for everyone to gather at the hospital, including dad Greg, a New York City Fire Department lieutenant and serves in the Air National Guard, who had been out doing a military flight exercise.
“He was like, ‘I think it’s time for me to get back down,’ and when he landed he got a text from my sister saying her water just broke,” Fieberg says. “He drove two hours home and met us at the hospital right before Emersyn was born.”
Emersyn Fieberg.Lollipop Woods Photography
Lollipop Woods Photography
After so many years of turmoil, McIntyre is thrilled to see how happy her sister is with Emersyn.
“She’ll definitely always have a special place in my heart, but not because it’s my egg, but because I know I had a part in her being here,” McIntyre says.
Corritori shares that the sisters have been through a lot together, from Fieberg supporting her through her own IVF pregnancy to all the sisters chipping in to help McIntyre out after she delivered twins in the wake of COVID.
“We have always been there for each other,” Corritori says. “We were there for Jaclyn because we needed each other. But we have always needed each other.”
source: people.com
