Laura Perkins had always dreamed of being a mother. From a young age, she pictured herself cradling a tiny, warm baby in her arms, feeling that profound connection that comes only from carrying and nurturing a child. She imagined reading bedtime stories, comforting a crying infant in the middle of the night, and watching her child take their first steps. Parenthood, for her, was never just a passing thought—it was a deep, lifelong aspiration. But the journey toward that dream proved far more difficult than she had imagined.