NICU and Gorecki Guest House Team Up to Provide Invaluable Support for International Parenthood

The African proverb, "It takes a village," is often used to describe how community support plays a vital role in raising children. For Gert and Peter, from Belgium, this saying resonates deeply and perfectly sums up their journey to parenthood.

Gert, 52, an attorney, and Peter, 44, a nurse, began dating in 2017 and quickly realized they shared a dream of becoming parents. That same year they attended an international surrogacy conference in Belgium, and decided to engage with an agency from Maple Grove, MN. They secured an egg donor from Portland, OR, and were matched with a gestational carrier from the St Cloud area. Their journey had begun.

By May 2022, the gestational carrier was heavily pregnant with their daughter, Martha. When she was dilated to five centimeters, Gert and Peter rushed to the U.S. after two days of waiting for COVID test results. Upon arriving in St. Cloud, they faced a 10-day wait before Martha was born at 38 weeks, weighing at 10 pounds, evident by her chubby cheeks. It was also determined that Martha needed to spend some time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This is when they came to appreciate the staff and services of the CentraCare - St. Cloud Hospital NICU.

Gert and Peter had to arrange housing near the hospital, and they were relieved to learn about the Gorecki Guest House (GGH), located directly across from the hospital. “It was so nice to know our daughter was receiving excellent care on the other side of the street,” Gert said. Martha ended up spending about 10 days in the NICU, and afterward, the family stayed with the gestational carrier and her family for another 10 days. During this time, she continued to provide breast milk for Martha.

Having forged strong connections, the gestational carrier, Gert and Peter decided to embark on another surrogacy journey together. Excited to expand their family, their son’s due date was early April 2025. But he must have wanted to experience a true Minnesota winter. In February, they received an urgent call: the gestational carrier was in labor and little Frans was born at nearly 33 weeks.

“This parental journey was different,” Peter explained. “Frans needed support for his breathing and required a CPAP machine.” Peter, with his medical background, appreciated the professionalism of the NICU staff. “The NICU wasn’t part of our plan, but it felt like the right place for Frans to grow stronger.”

“The staff was incredibly respectful and kind. They’ve been wonderful in offering us all the possible support we needed to head home,” Gert added. “This experience has also turned into an intercultural exchange, as the staff is genuinely curious about our lives and background, just like we are.”

With Frans spending more than four weeks in the NICU, Gert and Peter, along with Martha, settled into the GGH and St. Cloud community. Christine Midthun, supervisor of GGH, and Shawnte Kehn, NICU social worker, quickly stepped in to help. Christine and her team provided two adjoining rooms for the family, along with a car seat, stroller and toys. She also helped them secure a short-term YMCA membership nearby.

Shawnte connected the family with the Crisis Nursery so that Martha could go to LaPetite Academy, a daycare at St. Cloud Technical and Community College, which was also within walking distance of both the hospital and the GGH.

“We are so grateful for the support we received from the CentraCare staff and the broader St. Cloud community,” Peter said.

Diane Pelant, NICU Director, emphasized the importance of support for families. “Every step of the way, from the smallest victories to the bigger milestones, has been shared between Peter, Gert, and our team and it is a relationship we deeply value.”

The Gorecki Guest House, named after benefactors Benedict and Dorothy Gorecki opened in 2009 and has 28 guest rooms to serve families of patients receiving care in the St. Cloud area.

The guest house relies on donations to offset operating costs and to keep room rates affordable. If you would like to join our family of support, donate online or call CentraCare Foundation at 320-240-2810. You also may support the guest house through a donation of gift cards or household goods, such as beverages, individual serving items, and paper and cleaning products.