Pregnancy & Birth

Meet Sophie Braggins – Toni Street’s surrogate and best friend

She's quite something!
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As women we treasure our friendships with our girlfriends and pride ourselves on being there for one another. Through the laughter, the tears, the successes and failures and everything in between, we can be counted on to support one another.

But would we carry our friend’s baby for her? Not every friendship would extend to this act of self-sacrifice.

Toni Street described it as the “ultimate gift a friend can give you” when her best friend Sophie Braggins offered and committed to being a surrogate for Toni and husband Matt France, so that they could have a longed-for third child.

Toni has an auto-immune condition which prevents her from having more children, and she had all but given up hope of having a third child when her childhood friend stepped in.

Sophie told Now To Love and NEXT magazine, “I observed Toni when she was at her sickest; she’s always been the best as a friend to me and I knew that I could do this for her.”

What a friend, and as we’ve begun to find out more about Sophie since she’s been catapulted into the limelight, what an incredible, high-achieving woman.

A mother of two herself, she is highly successful in her career, climbing to the position of chief executive of New Plymouth law firm Govett Quilliam within 10 months of joining the company. She also chairs the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.

For the full story, see the latest issue of NEXT magazine, on sale now.

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