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Chico Grandma Gives Birth To Her Own Grandson

CHICO (CBS13) — A Chico woman has twice the reason to be happy for becoming a grandma after giving birth to her own grandson.

Health problems prevented Maddie Coleman from giving birth and a surrogate was too expensive. That's where her mom stepped in to help.

Gus Wyatt Coleman came into the world on Oct. 22, and the first person he saw was his grandmother, Megan Barker.

"It was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life," she said.

For nine months, Megan Barker carried her daughter's child—an embryo created by her daughter and her son-in-law. She had already delivered and raised three children of her own.

"This was the biggest gift anybody can receive is becoming a mom and to have my mom give me that gift, it's unexplainable," Maddie Coleman said.

Her ovaries were at risk of tumors and she couldn't deliver a baby. A surrogate would be too expensive, approaching six figures. So the 48-year-old future grandmother offered her body to carry little Gus.

But make no mistake, this child belongs to Maddie and her husband.

"One-hundred percent, Tyler's and mine; he's our son," Maddie said.

Of course an emotional attachment developed between the grandmother and Gus, but not stronger than the one between mom and daughter. That's why it was so easy to turn over the 7-pound, 7-ounce bundle of joy to Maddie.

"The attachment for me was not an issue as people have predicted because in my mind it was biologically their baby. I was just a deluxe easy bake oven," Megan said.

Now grandma is doing what normal grandmas do, like helping bathe the baby. But how many grandmothers provide breastmilk for their grandsons?

"When I see Maddie and Tyler holding him and feeding him and being the mommy and the daddy, it's the best thing," she said.

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