A woman who worked as a surrogate for a couple in China is continuing to care for their baby almost a year later due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Emily Chrislip gave birth to a baby girl in May 2020 but due to pandemic-related travel restrictions at the time, it prevented the little girl’s biological parents from coming to the U.S.
And while both Emily and her husband Brandon had the option of leaving the baby with a nanny agency — they decided to personally care for her after the parents requested they step in.
“At first, we thought it would be a max four weeks, and then it kept getting longer and longer,” Emily, 25, told PEOPLE in September.
“We’ve just accepted that we don’t know… but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
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And now ten months after her birth, the Chrislips continue to care for the infant, while her biological parents continue to look for a safe way to get to the U.S. and finally meet their daughter.
“I can’t believe how much time has passed,” Emily told the outlet. “It seems like it’s gone very fast so it’s different when you sit down and think about the situation.”
“But on a day-to-day basis, we just get through it and keep going on about our day and so it doesn’t seem too out of the ordinary anymore,” she continued. “We’re hoping that they will be able to get here before her first birthday in May.”
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“The biggest concern is the restrictions,” she added. “I don’t think they’ll have a problem getting to the U.S., but getting back into Asia, they might have problems. So we’re trying to wait and see what happens with all the restrictions.”
Emily, who shares son Camden with Brandon, was chosen as a surrogate for the couple in China in September 2019.
“We definitely love her and will always care for her but we understand she is not ours,” she added.
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