09/25/2025
At 55, Grandma Carries Triplets for Her Daughter — and Becomes Surrogate to Her Own Grandchildren
Baltimore, Md. — When years of infertility treatments failed, Camille and Jason Hammond faced a heartbreaking reality: doctors said Camille would not be able to carry a pregnancy. Adoption and surrogacy were the only paths left. Then Camille’s mother, Tinina Cade, made an extraordinary offer — to carry their baby herself.
Post-menopausal but medically cleared to be a gestational carrier, the 55-year-old grandmother began IVF using Camille’s eggs and Jason’s s***m. On the second embryo transfer, Tinina’s pregnancy test turned positive — and soon after, scans showed a stunning result: triplets.
“That day was one of the best — incredibly emotional,” Tinina recalled of the moment she learned the embryos had taken.
A rare, high-risk pregnancy — for love of family
Carrying three babies in her mid-50s came with significant strain. Tinina endured swelling, discomfort, and limited mobility, eventually relying on a wheelchair late in pregnancy. After seven months, doctors recommended delivery for her safety and the babies’ health. In December 2004, Tinina gave birth by caesarean section to two boys and a girl — Aaron, Kai, and Simone. All three were healthy.
For Camille, who lives with endometriosis, the birth ended a long run of dashed hopes that included six failed IVF cycles. The couple initially hesitated at the idea of a surrogate — especially a stranger — but Tinina’s proposal “changed everything,” Camille said. “Who better to protect our children than their grandmother?”
How the surrogacy worked
This was a gestational surrogacy: Tinina had no genetic link to the babies. Doctors transferred three embryos to improve the chance that at least one would implant. In a rare outcome, all three did. While high-order multiples raise medical risks, the care team closely monitored Tinina and the triplets until delivery.
A family’s new beginning
Today, the Hammonds say the experience reshaped their understanding of parenthood and community. Their story has also inspired other couples facing infertility to consider options they hadn’t thought possible — including family-supported surrogacy when appropriate and medically safe.
