One of the things Shanna St Clair makes clear when she talks about surrogacy is that she wasn’t in it for the money. “We were doing well financially. I saw surrogacy as a gift I could give to another woman.”

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Shanna reflects on her story, which first came to light when Paris Hilton’s son was born. Not because she is the surrogate mother of the socialite, but because the media was looking for her to qualify the event.

Besides Ana Obregón, other celebrities who also chose surrogacy to become parents

The truth is that Shanna, 47, was a stand-in for some celebrities and makes sure the stories aren’t always a tale of dreams come true and mutual gratitude.

“Surrogacy can bring great joy,” she says, but says the process involves two women, “who may not know each other and who come from completely different social and financial backgrounds, coming together in this very intimate process to create a create baby.” There are all kinds of possibilities for things to go wrong, he says.

“I will never be alone again”: Spanish actress Ana Obregón is a mother again at the age of 68 with a surrogacy, thus restoring the illusion of life after the death of her son Álex from cancer

“Surrogacy can bring great joy,” she says, but says the process involves two women who don’t know each other. Photo: Tolikoff Photography

Who is Shanna, the surrogate mother of celebrities

A hairdresser by trade, Shanna lives on a farm in Pennsylvania where she raises goats and chickens.

The woman, a mother of three of her own children, two boys and a girl, was determined to become a surrogate mother at age 30 when she read a magazine article about the struggles of barren women and felt immediate sympathy.

She and her husband Joseph, who is a builder, had their first daughter who was stillborn at 26 weeks, so she understood the trauma of grief and the desire for a child.

Over the course of three years, Shanna received a payment of $50,000 to cover the loss of income from her job. Photo taken from social networks.

So Shanna contacted an agency, where they ran all sorts of physical and psychological tests on her. Their profile was then sent to the parents-to-be and the first couple appeared, naming them Jennifer and Mark, so as not to reveal their real names.

He got on very well with this first couple. Although it took her seven attempts to conceive, she had a very special relationship with Jennifer and maintains contact with that family to this day.

Over the course of three years, Shanna received a payment of $50,000 to cover the loss of income from her job, the trip to the IVF clinic, and other expenses.

Shanna was paid approximately $11,000 plus expenses. Photo from the Daily Mail.

What it’s like to be a surrogate mother for a celebrity

Shanna’s experience as a celebrity surrogate wasn’t all that rewarding. The famous contacted her by phone and told her she was 40 years old, single and wanted to try to have a baby with her own eggs and a sperm donor.

They signed contracts for three pregnancy attempts within 30 days of the two women speaking. Shanna remembers hoping for an instant connection, but this woman was aloof and self-absorbed.

The first pregnancy attempt failed and the celebrity was “indifferent, and that threw me off,” Shanna said. In addition, the woman was rude and despotic towards other people.

The second attempt was also unsuccessful, but on the third, Shana got pregnant. However, when she called the celebrity to tell her, she was told that she had fathered a child with another surrogate mother.

Surrogacy cannot incur any compensation, but it can cover costs arising from the process.

Shanna was checked by the clinic and had another blood test three days after the call to check her hormone levels. The result was inconclusive and when she reported this to the celebrity, she only sent a curt reply and said to keep her updated.

Shanna waited, but her hormone levels started to drop and she miscarried. Shanna texted him to let him know and also asked if she should send him the rest of the bills.

He was surprised when he replied, “Our relationship has ended. Send your invoices’

Shanna was paid approximately $11,000 plus expenses. The contract he signed with the celebrity included a payment of $45,000 for a baby, $55,000 for twins and $60,000 for triplets or more.

The two women spoke no more. Months later, the celebrity hit television making disparaging remarks about surrogate mothers. “I burst into tears,” Shanna admitted.