A couple have announced on Facebook that they're expecting a baby after friends on Facebook raised money for their IVF treatments.
Marisha Chaplin and Jon Hibbs, who already share one-year-old Evie, announced the lovely baby news on Facebook.
As they both had cancer as teenagers, they had to undergo IVF to conceive their first child, but had insufficient funds to have the treatment done again as the NHS charges £2,000 if you already had a successful round of IVF.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10160533626040578&set=picfp.727845577&type=3&theater
At the time, Marisha shared her story on a Facebook called 'May Babies 2016', made up of mothers who all gave birth in May 2016, and the story clearly touched other mums who joined efforts to raise money for the couple.
The generous donation, which took three weeks to raise, was revealed as a surprise to the mum-of-one, when she thought she was going live on Facebook to promote the make up she sells.
Sh said at the time: 'I actually didn't believe it when they held up the (£2,000) sign. It was bizarre and I can't put into words how amazing it was.'
Marisha's husband, Jon, added: 'They held up the sign - and I just broke down and crumpled on the floor. I couldn't think of what to say to them.'
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10160622152105578&set=a.10151498561815578&type=3
'We both had Hodgkin's lymphoma when we were younger. I was going in for a check-up and I met her and we chatted for a year on MSN and have been together ever since.'
A year after they received the kind donation, Marisha shared the lovely news that she was expecting again on Facebook - and they'll be having another girl!
Alongside a heart-warming video explaining their story, she wrote: 'The ladies from the amazing FB group May babies have asked me to upload the reveal video we sent over to them, to tell them our amazing news about our IVF round :)
https://www.facebook.com/marisha.chaplin.1/videos/10160611128730578/
'So here it is.... I cried the whole night I edited it. It seemed only right that we revealed to them in a similar way they did to us. I just wish I could have caught them all on camera!! I can't believe how far we have come. How much these ladies have given us is priceless. Every time I think of the whole situation I honestly have no words. I'm STILL speechless. These things don't happen, and definitely not to people like us.
'Never ever did we think we would be having another child. We longed to give Evie a sibling but knew we would never have the money to even attempt it. Our dreams have literally come true, and I just cannot wait to be a family of 4.
'I know things like this are so so hard to see when you're hurting, when there's nothing you want more, but I promise you, in one way or another you can achieve that happy ending. It may not end with IVF, but you can get there. I'm only a message away to anyone who needs to talk. I've been there, i'll be there again, and i'll never ever forget the endless pain and suffering each month.'
Faith in humanity restored! Congratulations to Marisha, Jon and little Evie. ❤️
