When a Texas couple couldn’t decide which embryo to transfer first amid their in vitro fertilization (IVF) journey, they turned to an unlikely middle-man — their family dog, Charlie.
Ina TikTok video, Serena and Jacob Cukjati revealed that since they were unable to decide whether they wanted to have a boy or a girl via IVF first, they asked Charlie to choose. “Okay, so we haven’t been able to decide if we want to transfer a girl or a boy embryo first. We have two girls and one boy for those of you who are new,” Cukjati explained.
“However, when we asked our doctor about the strongest embryo, you know trying to take the decision away from us, he said our boy and one of our girls pretty much was exactly the same.”
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“So we decided we’re going to have Charlie pick our embryo essentially,” she continued. “We wrote boy and girl on each of these balls and we’re going to throw them at the same time. Whichever one he brings back, that’s what we’re going to go with and it’s going to be final.”
The video then switched to an image of Charlie, who was wearing a teal harness. “Bubs, are you ready for your big day?” Serena asked Charlie. “Ready? This is your moment. Okay, go!”
Serena Cukjati/TikTok
“Wait, he’s going back and forth!” Jacob said as Charlie tried to decide which tennis ball to pick up. “Which one will it be?”
Charlie eventually picked up a tennis ball and came trotting back to his owners. At the end of the video, Serena added a still of Charlie and his chosen tennis ball, writing, “Come back on August 7th to find out which embryo Charlie picked!”
Comments on the video filled with viewers praising the couple for their great idea. “The best idea yet! Congrats! Rest up mama! (Yes you are a mama!) You’ll need all the extra sleep,” one user wrote.
Serena tells PEOPLE exclusively that after a year of trying to conceive naturally, she decided to turn to IVF, but was sad to find out that many of the surprises that come with a natural pregnancy were taken away from her. “We really wanted to find opportunities to add a little magic back into growing our family and we felt like including our dogs was the perfect idea since they’re such a big part of our lives.”
Although the couple hasn’t revealed which sex their dog Charlie chose, Serena says that she and her husband were completely shocked. “We were so thrilled and it has been so magical getting to visualize our transfer date of July 25th and my upcoming pregnancy with not only a specific gender in mind, but a specific embryo.”
“IVF can be such a thief of joy at times. For many of us going through fertility treatments, we’ve had to adjust our expectations significantly on what growing a family looks like, so it is incredibly special to find little moments of joy along the way.”
source: people.com
