Rainbow Mama

Lia Buffa De Feo, the founder of Fly Bravely, has been through more than any human should have to endure. She’s the mother of a stillborn son who died when her uterus ruptured at 31 weeks. Despite the trauma of her loss, Lia and her husband decided to try again: this time using a surrogate.

In the best of times, surrogacy is a complex and costly process. But especially for those living in New York State where gestational surrogacy is illegal. Yet Lia found an agency to help navigate the process. And then the unthinkable happened: she lost her second baby at 29 weeks after she was born via emergency c-section with an incurable heart condition. Incredibly, she persevered again and now has a daughter: Carolina Maria De Feo. Lia has now taken her experiences with surrogacy to Albany to fight to legalize surrogacy in New York State so that it’s easier for others who cannot carry. Read more about her journey here in her recent piece for Refinery29.