In a Woman’s Day exclusive, Toni Street has introduced her beautiful baby boy Lachlan Stephen France, who was conceived via a surrogate, her best friend Sophie Braggins.
“I look at Lachie and get these ‘wow’ moments over how lucky we are,” the beloved broadcaster, 34, tells the magazine. “I just can’t believe we got our son! He really is the son I thought we’d never ever have.”
Former Seven Sharp presenter Toni – who also has daughters Juliette, five, and Mackenzie, three, with husband Matt France, 34 – was heartbroken when her autoimmune condition Churg-Strauss syndrome ended her dream of another pregnancy.
Fortunately, her selfless childhood friend Sophie, 35, offered to act as a surrogate, having an embryo created from Toni’s egg and Matt’s sperm implanted in her womb, and lovingly carrying it to term for the Hits radio star.
“I’m still amazed that someone would do this for me,” Toni tells Woman’s Day. “I was turning myself inside out over how I could ever thank her enough, but I’m learning to accept that she’s done this because she loves me.”
Lachie arrived unexpectedly early, in dramatic fashion, on August 14 at Auckland’s North Shore Hospital, weighing 3.4kg. He was gifted with a middle name that holds special significance to Toni, Matt and Sophie, and the days following his arrival were emotional for both the France and Braggins families.
All the gorgeous pictures and the full details, including an emotional first-person account from generous Sophie, can be seen exclusively in the new issue of Woman’s Day.
