Woman to celebrate Mother's Day for 1st time after welcoming baby via surrogacy

By Yi-Jin Yu

A former Broadway performer-turned-nonprofit founder and yoga teacher is getting ready to celebrate her first Mother's Day after surviving an uncertain breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, and embarking on a surrogacy journey.

Sarrah Strimel Bentley, who first shared her breast cancer and fertility journey on "Good Morning America" and "GMA3" in October, said she is "incredibly grateful" to fulfill her longtime dream of becoming a mom.

"I felt last Mother's Day like, 'I think I'm going to be a mom.' But there were so many hurdles to cross," Strimel Bentley recalled. "And so I just prayed and I put all of my faith that this Mother's Day, I would be holding [my son] Chance."

"Right now, I just feel so incredibly grateful that I got to this point after this insanely unexpected but beautiful, at times, journey," she added.

Courtesy of Sarrah Strimel Bentley

Sarrah Strimel Bentley said she feels “incredibly grateful” to be able to celebrate her first Mother’s Day after receiving breast cancer treatment and welcoming her first child through surrogacy.

Courtesy of Sarrah Strimel Bentley

At his play class, Chance made a Mother’s Day bouquet with his painted feet.

In August 2020, Strimel Bentley found a walnut-sized lump under one of her armpits, and shortly afterward, was diagnosed with a high-risk early breast cancer. The 42-year-old is now partnering with Eli Lilly & Company to share her personal story and raise awareness about high-risk early breast cancer.

Under the advice of her care team, Strimel Bentley decided to undergo two rounds of in vitro fertilization, resulting in a single embryo, and then chose to pursue surrogacy with her husband James Bentley, matching with a woman named Whitney, whom Strimel Bentley called an "angel."

"We were matched with our angel Whitney and, you know, not being able to carry my own embryo, [but] finding a woman that I felt kindred spirits with, I mean, she's now family to us," Strimel Bentley said. "We call her Auntie Whitney [and she] was paramount because we knew we just had one shot."

In December, Strimel Bentley and her husband welcomed their child, a son they named Chance, and today, they're cherishing their time together.

Courtesy of Sarrah Strimel Bentley

Chance is now five months old, and his mom Sarrah Strimel Bentley playfully calls him a “trickster.”

Courtesy of Sarrah Strimel Bentley

Sarrah Strimel Bentley and her husband James Bentley welcomed their first child, a son named Chance, with the help of a surrogate on Dec. 10, 2023.

Courtesy of Sarrah Strimel Bentley

Sarrah Strimel Bentley, 42, will celebrate her first Mother’s Day on May 12 since welcoming her first child with the help of a surrogate, a woman named Whitney.

Strimel Bentley said she wanted to share her personal journey in order to not just raise awareness but to offer hope to people, especially women, facing tough challenges.

Courtesy of Sarrah Strimel Bentley

Sarrah Strimel Bentley describes her son Chance as “calm” and “mellow.”

"I'm happy to say that I am healthy. I am cancer-free. I feel great. And so, I want women to be empowered, to know their own normal, to call their doctors when they feel something off. And just to be sort of aware of my story and know that you can get through it," she said. "You can be ... where I am today, which is with my dream family."

"Miracles do happen and we are a product of that," she added.