Heartbreak as woman who used her best friend as a surrogate DIES before the little boy is born
Jessica Brockie, a mother-of-two and the wife of New Zealand footballer Jeremy Brockie, agreed to be the surrogate for her long-time best friend Bec Arena, who was unable to carry a child on her own due to her cystic fibrosis.
Tragically, Jessica gave birth to a healthy little boy, but Bec passed away just before she could meet her new baby.
In July last year, Bec shared the exciting news in a Facebook post, describing her friends willingness to carry her child as 'selfless.'
She wrote: 'We are so fortunate to have Jess and her family helping us along this road - who would have thought all those years ago in primary school that this is where we would be now!
'Gareth and I can't even find words to adequately describe how grateful we are to Jess, Jeremy & their kids for going on this journey with us.'
Tragically, Bec passed away due to complications with her cystic fibrosis. Her son Rixon James Arena was born on January 20.
Following the birth of Rixon, Jeremy Brockie took to social media to announce how 'proud' he was of his wife for her selfless act.
He wrote: 'It's been such a great journey to be involved in and so glad we could do this side by side.
'To be able to help another family like this is so rewarding.'
Jessica has since shared a touching tribute to her late friend, writing: 'What an amazing journey to be a part of.'
She further thanked her friends for 'letting our family travel this road with you.'
A GoFundMe page has been started by someone close to the new father, Gareth, to help with costs of raising his baby on his own.
'Bec was never one to talk about her hardships or to ask for help, even though she was battling personal struggles greater than we could ever truly understand,' the fundraising page reads.
'And now, even though he is facing this huge financial and emotional mountain on his own, Gareth is just the same.'
Funds raised will go towards helping Gareth cover the cost of being a single father.
