Lacey and Jake Felder Are Ready to Become Parents

Lacey and Jake Felder are ready for a little one. They married in 2021, built a home in a community they love, and now they are reaching for the thing they have been talking about together: becoming parents. Their friend Alexandra Muller, who set up their fundraiser with their permission, describes them as two of the most loving and caring people she has ever known, and says she can only begin to imagine how loved their child will be.

Jake is a Respiratory Therapist who, in Alexandra's words, brings comfort, health, and surely some laughter to his patients. Lacey is a Program Manager at Donate Life California, following what she has always called her life's passion.

A life shaped by the gift of life

Lacey's story with organ donation began before she could speak for herself. At only 10 months old, she contracted a life threatening infection in her heart. At 18 months, she received a heart from a little boy her loved ones affectionately call baby James. She became a successful transplant recipient, and earned a nickname that stuck: "Lucky Lacey." Alexandra says she has lost count of the times, over the course of their friendship, that Lacey has expressed her deepest gratitude for baby James.

In 2006, Lacey was diagnosed with kidney failure. Her brother, Tyson, stepped in to donate a kidney. "Lucky Lacey" rang true again.

She has spent her life since giving that gift back. Lacey has been a representative for One Legacy and Donate Life California for as long as Alexandra has known her, and her career has come full circle: she now serves as Program Manager of the very registry she helped create as a child.

Why surrogacy, and why the ask

After weighing the pros and cons of a natural pregnancy based on Lacey's history, Lacey and Jake decided that surrogacy is the healthiest option for both Lacey and their baby. It is a decision made with care, and with a lot of lived experience behind it.

It is also a decision that carries a significant cost. IVF and surrogacy are expensive, and insurance rarely covers much of it. Lacey and Jake applied for multiple grants and did not receive them, which is a familiar and disheartening turn for many families building through IVF, surrogacy, or adoption. The result is that people who are ready to parent, and who would parent beautifully, find the path blocked by a number rather than by anything about their love or readiness.

That is where community comes in. Fundraising will not fix how expensive family building is, but it can close a gap for one family at a time. Alexandra put it plainly when she started this fundraiser: it is a small token of appreciation for all that Lacey and Jake do, as friends and for their community.

How you can help

If their story stays with you, read their fundraiser in their own words and give what you can. Any amount helps, and shares matter too. Every contribution moves Lacey and Jake closer to the child they are already making room for.