Family Makers Surrogacy Team
Our Founder & President
Prior to becoming an Intended Parent, Ashlee Hammonds and her husband had been trying for their first baby. On Mother’s Day, they announced to their family that they were expecting.
The following week, Ashlee miscarried.
As the years went by, multiple attempts of IVF were unsuccessful and four pregnancies resulted in miscarriages. Ashlee became immersed in the infertility community and began supporting others who had experienced similar struggles. While advocating for her own fertility answers, she was put in touch with two specialists who finally provided a solution. They both confirmed that Ashlee was not able to maintain a pregnancy, and recommended surrogacy as the best option to grow their family.
While researching and saving for the process, Ashlee and her husband pursued adoption as a path to parenthood as well. While the first attempt failed almost immediately, the second adoption attempt seemed promising. The prospect of bringing home the baby ended abruptly however, when the birth mother unexpectedly miscarried a baby boy at 25 weeks.
It was immediately apparent that there was a lot of money, time and risk involved in both adoption and surrogacy. They persisted. After significant time, tears and expense, Ashlee and her husband finally matched with a special woman who safely delivered their twins. They remain friends to this day, and they even get a Facetime call each year on the twin’s birthday to watch them blow out their candles – if she can’t join them in person.
Five years later, a good friend approached them offering to carry their last baby. At the time, they had two embryos left. On transfer day, they nervously waited to hear how the embryo chosen had thawed. Their physician came out to let them know that it had indeed not survived the thawing process. They put all their hopes into the one little embryo they had left, which thankfully did survive thaw. That embryo thrived, and nine months later a perfect baby boy was born. Ashlee and their surrogate remain very close friends and visit each other a couple of times a year.
After navigating her own path to become a parent, Ashlee understood the importance of education, financial responsibility, empathy, and ethics for everyone involved. Although her own journey was a successful experience, she realized how risky the process could be, and how much better it could have been with the right agency guiding them.
By combining best practices from agencies and fertility practices throughout the United States, Family Makers Surrogacy has quickly become an agency known for working with incredible Gestational Surrogates, following ethical practices, and maintaining a personalized approach to each and every individual we support. Ashlee serves as Agency Director and is our Intended Parents’ primary contact with Family Makers from beginning to end. She collaborates daily with our experienced Surrogacy Coordinators to ensure each journey is a smooth and happy one. She is also a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and a member of the Society of Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy Grievance Committee.
Ashley C, Case Manager
Ashley L, Case Manager
Meet another Ashley – yes it’s our favorite name – she is a two time surrogate who loves to talk about surrogacy. She is very active on social media and has dedicated pages for surrogacy advocacy. She is a mother to one spunky little girl and a devoted wife to her husband of 10 years.
Ashley has a background in hospitality and her most recent work history includes Human Resources. She loves all things Disney and even worked for Disney prior to Covid. In her spare time she loves to get lost in a good book and doing her own nails.
Since 2018 Ashley has been active in the surrogacy community and has a strong drive for teaching about surrogacy and ethical practices. She also really loves TikTok, and makes content regularly just because it’s fun.
Ashley is a familiar face to Family Makers as one of our former Intake Managers. She has decided to return as one of our fantastic Case Managers!
To contact Ashley L directly
email: alawrence@familymakers.com
Shelby P, Case Manager
Shelby holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Arkansas (Woo Pig!) and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Shelby married her husband, Ryan, in October 2016, and together they’re raising two wonderful children, alongside a lively crew of furry companions. After living in Arkansas and Georgia, their family is now happily settled along the coast of Shelby’s home state, North Carolina.
Inspired by the birth of her own children, Shelby felt a deep calling to help others grow their families. That passion led her to become a surrogate, and with the support of Family Makers, she delivered a baby for her intended parents in March 2024. While she’s unable to carry again, her commitment to supporting others on their own family-building journeys remains strong. She interned with Family Makers in the summer of 2024, and she now continues her work with them as a dedicated Case Manager.
When she’s not working or studying, you can find Shelby in the kitchen baking anything and everything, out at the barn with her beloved horse, Clark, or enjoying beach days with her family, often with a bag in hand for beach cleanups.
To contact Shelby directly
email: shelby@familymakers.com
Janae, Intake Coordinator
Janae became a surrogacy advocate in 2010 after delivering a set of surprise splitter triplets as a gestational surrogate. As an active member of the surrogacy community for the past two decades, Janae has helped and guided countless surrogates and
intended parents through their journies.
After her surrogacy journey, Janae experienced some medical issues and quickly found that there was not a lot of information out there for surrogates in her same position. She then created what became a popular surrogacy informational website and online
community of both gestational surrogates and intended parents alike.
Janae has been married to her husband since 2001, and has lived all over the United States due to his service in the Marine Corps. Together they have four wonderful children and will soon be welcoming their first grandchild!
Aside from her love of her family and the surrogacy world, Janae is a huge fan of baseball. She is also an avid reader and writer. Janae published her first ebook in 2016, The Complete Guide to Surrogacy for Surrogates, and soon she will be publishing her
first romance novel.
To contact Janae directly
Charlotte R, Counselor
Meet Charlotte (she/her), a wife, mother of two, and an experienced gestational carrier. Charlotte has a passion for working with those experiencing difficulties during pregnancy and postpartum adjustment, mood and thought disorders, relationship challenges and adjustment to parenthood.
Charlotte’s journey in this specific field began before she became a mother herself, and she loves all things surrounding pregnancy, birth, babies, postpartum life, and parenthood. She has a passion for empowering women, especially during the expansion of their family, and ensuring their voices are heard. Her goal is to help strengthen the family unit, enhance marriages and relationships, and help support clients through life transitions.
As a gestational carrier, Charlotte’s journey officially began in 2020 when she first started working with Family Makers. She gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl in June 2021, and another baby girl in April 2024.
Contact info for Charlotte:
Main website: https://www.
Email: cramberg@cherokeerosecc.com
Our Staff
Ashley
Ashley is our Surrogacy Case Manager, and is one of the first people our newest Gestational Surrogates meet when beginning their journey with us!
Her responsibilities include onboarding our newest applicants, while also supporting our current Surrogates from beginning to end of their journeys.
In addition to being a wife and mom of three little girls, Ashley is a MOPS chapter leader, bookclub enthusiast, and has a bit of a Disney obsession.
Ashley is an experienced surrogate who delivered a little girl for her South Carolina based Intended Parents. She has matched with Intended Parents based in Georgia for her second journey and looks forward to helping them grow their family in this unique and amazing way!
Tonya
Tonya is our Surrogacy Intake Coordinator, and assists our new candidates complete all of the steps it takes to become approved and matched with amazing Intended Parents!
Her responsibilities include welcoming new applicants to our agency, educating and interviewing prospective surrogates considering a journey, and supporting our Surrogates postpartum who are interested in donating breastmilk to new Parents or the Premie Milk Bank.
Tonya is a mom of two boys, and an experienced surrogate who delivered a baby boy for her Atlanta based Intended Parents. She plans to pursue a second journey one day, and hopes to match with a same-sex male couple wishing to grow their family!