North Carolina woman gives birth to BROTHER'S twins with her pastor husband's support

Rachel Elliott, a mortgage lender in Raleigh, North Carolina, decided to give birth to her brother Mark MacDonald's babies with the support of her pastor husband
UPDATED MAR 16, 2022
Mark MacDonald and Rachel Elliott did not grow up together (Mark MacDonald/Rachel Elliott)
Mark MacDonald and Rachel Elliott did not grow up together (Mark MacDonald/Rachel Elliott)

In a very unusual turn of events, a woman delivered her brother’s twins after they found out about each other in adulthood. As per reports, Rachel Elliott and Mark MacDonald did not know about each other’s existence until they were all grown up. However, the siblings eventually decided to be each other’s rock in a way very few would consider.

It has been said that Mark, an Adjunct Professor at Portland State University and a Principal Engineer at Intel Corporation, was comfortable knowing that he was adopted at birth. But later, he decided to find his blood family and came to know that he has not one but three siblings. After exchanging several letters and emails, Mark finally met his sister Rachel. And when Rachel, a mortgage lender in Raleigh, North Carolina, got to know her brother was struggling to have kids with his wife, she decided to help. Not just that, her pastor husband also supported her as she became a surrogate mother to her brother’s twins nearly 3,000 miles away from him.

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Now the brother-sister duo has co-authored a book “that speaks to their experiences rediscovering family and building a new one”. The book’s name is ‘Love & Genetics’, which will be released online on March 22 and “focuses on the relationship that develops between Mark and his sister, Rachel.”

The description of ‘Love & Genetics' notes that it includes “original correspondence between Rachel, Mark, and their biological mother Marilyn,” and “gives insight into this astounding personal tale of adoption, surrogacy, and the true meaning of family.”

Rachel Elliott stands in between her brother and sister-in-law with the newborns (Mark MacDonald/Rachel Elliott)

In a similar kind of incident, a Seattle woman became a surrogate for her brother’s child after his wife was advised not to get pregnant by doctors. 27-year-old Hilde Perringer delivered her niece in January 2021 after becoming the surrogate mother of her brother Evan Shelley, 35, and his 33-year-old wife Kelsey's fifth child. The pair are parents to four kids -- ten-year-old Agnes, eight-year-old Emmerich, Edith, five, and Otto, two.

Perringer told The Daily Mail, “It is crazy because I told Kelsey about my aspiration to be a surrogate when I was 16. But I never thought I'd carry for someone in my family so it was a blessing that I was able to do that. My family say I am selfless for helping them but I feel selfish as it has always been my dream.”

Kelsey had severe complications during the birth of her fourth child and was advised to not get pregnant again as it could threaten her life as well. She said, “I've always had a complicated birth but this one was obviously the worst. The doctors fixed my uterus and explained a lot of women die from a ruptured uterus on the table. I couldn't even enjoy Otto as I was told 'no more babies'. I was grateful we were both ok but mourning the fact we couldn't have anymore. I never thought about surrogacy as it seemed excessive as I already have four beautiful children.”

But on Thanksgiving 2019, her sister-in-law offered help to achieve her dream of having a fifth child. Kelsey said she was present in the labor room when Perringer gave birth to her daughter. She added, “'It wasn't the birth we had planned but I was so glad Hilde wanted me to be by her side. It was amazing to hold my baby straight after birth because I've always had a C-section and complications such as preeclampsia, so my other children were taken away at birth. I instantly felt a connection and complete. Evan and I are always thinking of ways to repay Hilde but I don't think it's possible.”

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