A Florida couple decided that they would like to add on to their already beautiful family. They had a little boy, but both loved kids and wanted at least one more child.
When the husband, Sam Tripson, was diagnosed with Stage IV lymphoma, the couple decided to freeze 4 embryos for the future. Cancer treatment often leads to infertility in men, and if the couple wanted more children, IVF was the only way to go.
https://www.instagram.com/p/6wGjk_iPLP/?taken-by=ktripson
Kristen knew that both she and her husband considered each embryo their child. She said:
Though we never talked much about “the end,” we did talk about our embryos. I know it’s a very personal, private subject, but to us, they were our potential children. On ice. It was always our plan, regardless of what happened, that they would have a chance at life.
FaithIt reports that Sam and Kristen Tripson had a baby girl, Alice Ann, while Sam was undergoing cancer treatment.
Kristen had another of the frozen embryos implanted, but the pregnancy was unsuccessful. That left two remaining embryos frozen.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFHpzjJiPNO/?taken-by=ktripson
Sam’s cancer worsened, and he was admitted to Intensive Care. Unfortunately, lymphoma is a very aggressive disease, and Sam did not survive.
After his death in September 2015, Kristen knew that she wanted to try to carry out their plan. She wanted more of Sam, and she wanted their embryos to have a chance at life.
Five months after her husband’s death, and after weeks of physical and mental preparation, Kristen went for her last IVF procedure. Her mother was beside her. So was Sam’s. The final two embryos were implanted, and the waiting began.
Says Kristen:
“I found out a few weeks later that I was carrying one strong baby. And that’s ok.[sic] The way I see it, I get one and Sam gets one. Of course, it’s bittersweet. And yes, a bit unconventional. But it was our decision and what I consider to be one of life’s most beautiful blessings.”
Next October, a bit more than a year after his death, Sam Tripson will once again become a father, and Kristen will know that she has fulfilled her husband’s dream.
Watch this loving tribute video Kristen made in memory of her husband, Sam and their life together:
Featured Image A Screenshot Of Video By Kristen Tripson Via Vimeo.
