STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
It's Friday, which means it's time for StoryCorps. And today, we have a story from Kentucky - a state where I used to live - from Lexington. 20 years ago, Regina Collins and her then partner decided to try to get pregnant. At that time, there were limited options for same-sex couples, so they tried fertility doctors, and they tried artificial insemination, but nothing worked. At StoryCorps, Regina spoke to her son, Jonah Collins-Simpson, about how they became a family.
REGINA COLLINS: I've wanted you in my life for so many years. I tried to get pregnant for a long time, and Mom and I had given up. And that's when Cindy, who is still a good friend of mine...
JONAH COLLINS-SIMPSON: Yeah.
COLLINS: ...Came to us and said, how about I have a baby for you? And that's when Angel, a friend, came to us, and he also had a child, so we saw what his sperm did.
COLLINS-SIMPSON: Yeah. You knew he had healthy swimmers.
COLLINS: Yeah. And I was a nurse midwife. So we decided to just do it on our own.
COLLINS-SIMPSON: DIY it. Yeah.
COLLINS: Yeah. We sure did DIY it. You know, when you were born, I caught you. And I relive that moment over and over, just having you in my hands. I was the first person to ever touch you. And your birth announcements said, the man of our dreams because you were everything for us. I'd do it all over exactly to get you again. I never could have imagined how loving you are and caring and kind.
COLLINS-SIMPSON: I mean, you guys raised me, right? Growing up, I looked around for a father figure, but getting older, it's something I realized that I didn't need. Mom, she helped me out. Taught me how to use power tools. And every time I've ever asked for help, you've always been there for me.
COLLINS: I am always going to be there for you. You are everything I ever could have imagined. I was waiting for you.
COLLINS-SIMPSON: Thanks. Thank you. I'm glad I did not disappoint.
COLLINS: (Laughter) No, not even close, buddy. Not even close.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
INSKEEP: Darn it, you got me again. You hear somebody's story in their own words. Regina Collins and Jonah Collins-Simpson for StoryCorps, Lexington, Kentucky. The interview is archived at the Library of Congress.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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