Grandmother Gives Birth to Her Own Granddaughter at Age 54

Texas grandmother Tracey Thompson gave birth to her own granddaughter Wednesday at the age of 54 via her first C-section.

After Aaron and Kelley McKissack suffered years of infertility issues followed by three miscarriages, Kelley's mother offered to act as the couple's surrogate — a gesture that Kelley deemed to be "the greatest gift I could ever have in my life," according to CNN.

“[Kelley] and her husband had gone through so much — the miscarriages and fertility,” Thompson said, as WFAA-TV reported. “I didn't want to disappoint her.”

Kelley and Aaron had four remaining embryos left after their last round of IVF treatments, and Thompson gladly volunteered to receive an implant in April 2015, according to CNN. Because Thompson was already seven years past menopause, she had to undergo various medical treatments to prepare her body to carry a baby once again.

"Age alone is typically a limiting factor for childbirth and surrogacy," read a statement issued from the Medical Center of Plano, where the baby was born, according to WFAA. "However, medical advances in assisted reproductive technology can allow for late-in life surrogacy, under exacting supervision."

However, Thompson did experience some difficulties in taking on a pregnancy once again after such a lengthy time period.

"It's been many years since I was pregnant,” Thompson told WFAA. “The second trimester was great! The first and third were really tough.”

Little Kelcey McKissack was born healthy at 3:02 p.m. Wednesday evening at 6 pounds 11 ounces, with her grandmother delivering her via C-section due to labor complications, according to KDFW-TV. In order to commemorate the special bond shared between the the three ladies, the McKissacks decided name Kelcey by combining Tracy and Kelly's name's together.

"It is such a blessing that I can do this for my daughter,” Thompson told KDFW.

Following Kelcey's successful birth, Thompson and the McKissacks are working toward sharing their story with the goal of raising awareness for surrogacy as a potentially viable option for couples struggling with infertility issues, according to CNN.

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