Man hopes to father dead wife's child using school friend as a surrogate

When Jake Coates from Monmouth, Wales lost his childhood sweetheart, Emmy to cancer he thought that was the end, but he is now eagerly waiting to become father to their child, thanks to a surrogate.

Emmy died at the age of 31, finally giving in after fighting thyroid cancer for 18 long months.

The couple longed to be parents, and when Emmy passed away, all hope was lost.

However, shortly before she passed away doctors harvested Emmy's eggs and Jake's sperm and they were left with nine viable embryos.

This is where their kind-hearted schoolmate came into the picture, Liz Begg who has known the couple volunteered to act as surrogate to the couple's baby after she read Emmy's blog which documented her cancer battle.

Three weeks after the eggs were implanted, Liz was found to be pregnant, but in a few hours Emmy slipped into a sleep, from which she never woke up.

While this was heart-breaking for Jake, imagine his horror when the doctors told him the pregnancy was ectopic (where the egg implants outside the uterus).

Of the six embryos left, Jake plans on a second surrogacy attempt later this month.

Jake told the Mirror,"I think it gave Liz and I comfort [when we discovered the pregnancy was ectopic] that this first little foetus or baby had gone with Emmy and she could bring it up in heaven, if there is a place.

"I still talk to Emmy every day. I like to think she's somewhere, looking down and checking in and listening. And that's why I want to do her so proud.

"Having a part of Emmy would be the best thing ever. I know how much she wanted to be a mum."