Nearly three years after delivering her daughter's triplets as a 55-year-old surrogate mother, Tinina "Tina" Cade has been working to help other families struggling with infertility.
"There are a lot of people who don't know what to say, don't know what to do when they see people struggling with this, or they themselves are struggling," Cade said.
She is organizing a 3-mile race and a 1-mile family fun run/walk tomorrow on Richmond's Belle Isle to raise money for an organization started by her daughter and son-in-law, Camille and Jason Hammond, and named in her honor -- the Tinina Q. Cade Foundation.
Cade, a University of Richmond administrator, underwent an in-vitro fertilization procedure in the spring of 2004, during which three embryos formed from the Hammonds' eggs and sperm were implanted into her uterus. She made international headlines in December 2004 when she gave birth to the couple's three children -- two boys, Aaron and Kai, and a girl, Simone.
Before the birth of her grandchildren, Cade said she wasn't aware of the extent of the infertility problem.
"I just thought that it happened to a few people, but not a whole lot of people," Cade said. But now, "people are constantly talking to me about it. They're constantly sharing their struggles and their own troubles."
The nonprofit Cade Foundation provides information and support for diverse families struggling with infertility, particularly those of limited financial means.
"I think there are so many people who struggle with this who just don't want to talk about it," Cade said. "People just suffer quietly because they don't know what to do or who to talk to. There is a certain degree of shame that some people feel."
Through donations and three previous events in Columbia, Md., the group has raised about $30,000 and plans to award its first grants of up to $10,000 to help families pursuing fertility treatments or adoption. Grant applications, available on the foundation's Web site and at tomorrow's event, are due Oct. 15.
"We think although there are a lot of people who can afford to take care of children, many just can't afford to get children," Cade said. "They can't afford the fees for the adoption agencies, they can't afford the fees for the in-vitro process or other medical procedures. If we could provide some money to help them out, it might make all the difference in the world."
The Hammonds spent tens of thousands of dollars on their own fertility treatments, which included six failed in-vitro fertilization attempts. Without insurance, they would have cost $15,000 each.
Their triplets are now active toddlers who are talking, running and "unified in their commitment not to go on the potty," Camille Hammond said.
"They are wonderful, wonderful babies. They're more than I ever dreamed they could be," she said. "They're bright and beautiful. Jason and I are both very happy."
Last week, a 51-year-old surrogate mother for her daughter gave birth to her twin grandsons in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Hammonds have reached out to the family and hope to work with them to promote awareness about infertility.
Contact Melodie N. Martin at (804) 649-6290 or mmartin@timesdispatch.com.
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