This year, we're partnering with Ford
to launch a new digital series called Life's First Evers,
featuring their first ever EcoSport.
I gave my receptionist Jeannie her first job in television,
and now we're going to send her all around the country
to help others experience their own first evers.
I want to read you an email that I got from a viewer whose
story was amazing.
"Dear Ellen, My name is Katelin Buchanan.
I want to tell you about my incredible best friend, Erica.
For the past four years, my husband and I
have been trying to start a family.
After countless IVF cycles and five miscarriages,
we knew my body couldn't carry a baby.
That's where Erica comes in.
She selflessly offered to be our surrogate.
I'm thrilled to share that she is currently
pregnant with our twins who are due in April.
Because of Erica, I get to become
a mom for the first time.
I'll never be able to thank you enough for this,
but her number one dream is to meet you.
If there's anything you can do, it would mean the world to me.
We love you."
OK, so right now Jeannie is in Arlington, Virginia,
with Katelin and Erica.
They have no idea that we can see them.
They think Jeannie is there to film something with them.
Jeanne if you can hear me scratch your ear.
OK.
Erica's 33 weeks pregnant, so I don't
want to push her into labor.
I want to be very calm about this.
So calmly tell her that I want to say hi.
OK, so, here's what I've got to tell you.
I do have a little surprise for you guys.
Erica, you're 33 weeks pregnant.
Yes.
You need to breathe, you need to relax.
Yes.
I do have someone that wants to meet you.
I want you to take a look at that monitor right there.
Just take a look right there.
[SCREAMS OF JOY]
Are you serious?
Yes, I'm serious.
That's Ellen!
Breathe.
Let me find my mic.
I've got my mic.
Are you guys serious?
You're such a [INAUDIBLE].
Surprise!
You are a liar.
Let me tell you.
Say hello to that lady right there.
Hi, Ellen.
Hi.
Yes, Erica, Jeannie is a liar.
That's why we hired her.
We hire liars.
Oh my god.
Hi.
Oh my god.
How are you feeling?
Oh, I can't breathe.
Hold on, hold on, I need a minute to breathe.
Let her breathe.
We don't want her going into labor.
Oh my god.
Just breathe, just breathe, just breathe.
Don't worry.
We love you, Ellen!
These babies love you, too!
We all love you so much.
Ellen, hi.
Well you don't know that yet.
How long have you all been friends?
We've been best friends since before we were born.
The first picture of us is our moms' bellies touching.
What she said.
Yes.
So, Katelin, I just read this email,
but you were trying to get pregnant for a long time.
At what point did you realize you couldn't carry a baby?
We realized a couple of years ago, actually,
but we kept trying and we kept trying,
but ultimately decided that we just wanted to be parents.
So we decided to take Erica up on her incredible offer
to carry our babies for us.
So, Erica, I guess that was really hard for you to watch
your best friend go through.
You have two children, right?
I do.
I have two children.
I have an eight-year-old and a five-year-old,
and watching your friend go through something
so devastating is really hard.
I felt so helpless, and the moment I
had an opportunity to do something, I just jumped at it.
Wow.
So you obviously enjoy being pregnant.
I wouldn't go that far.
But it's for a great reason, and the moment
that I hand those babies over to Katelin and her husband
will be the best moment of my life.
You mean because they're out of your stomach?
Yeah.
Yeah
And they're really big.
And then I'm going to pour myself a big glass of wine.
So you watch my show, and that's been a big part of the process
for both of you, right?
That's what I heard.
So, yeah, we've been going--
as many women watching this probably know,
going through infertility is really, really hard.
We've had a lot of really difficult times.
5 miscarriages, countless rounds of IVF,
and every time we'd come back from bad news
or a sad appointment, my husband would always go to the TV.
He knew he had to go to the TV and turn on The Ellen Show,
just to help lift me up and to smile.
It's just been a really, really, really big part of our journey.
So thank you, thank you, thank you.
Well, thanks for letting me be a part of it.
And I don't have to carry babies or anything.
I can just be someone who helps you feel better.
Here's what I want to do.
Erica, I know your dream has been to come to the show,
so after you have the babies we're going to fly both of you,
give you VIP tickets to be in the audience, and I'll say hi
and we'll see you once you have the babies.
[AUDIENCE APPLAUSE]
[INAUDIBLE] First things first, first things first.
But thank you so much.
You're welcome.
And then, Katelin, you're going to be a first time mom,
so I'm going to give you everything
that we're going to give away for our Mother's Day show
this year, OK?
[INAUDIBLE]
Oh my-- I have chills right now.
You can watch our new digital series, Life's First
Evers on Ellentube right now.