Readers were thrilled for Deidre Hall and her new baby boy, delivered from a surrogate mother (PEOPLE, Sept. 2"). Several, writing of their own trying experiences with infertility, pointed out the enormous cost of medical treatment for the problem.

DEIDRE HALL
Bravo, PEOPLE! It's about time someone emphasized the positive aspects of surrogacy. I have been a surrogate mother twice, and both times were very uplifting and fulfilling. Seeing the happiness in the faces of the parents when their baby was born gave me a feeling of accomplishment words cannot describe. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
TRACIE McCUNE, Canoga Park, Calif.

I read with tears in my eyes the article about Deidre Hall's special baby—tears of happiness for her and tears of sadness for all of us who have been through the infertility ordeal she went through. As if our pain were not enough, the lack of understanding and financial assistance by insurance companies served to make the strain even greater. My plea to those who read this is to help push these companies to financially assist infertile couples with the costs of treatment or adoption. It would be nice to see them become part of the solution rather than being part of the problem.
SUSAN BURRESS, McKinney, Tex.

I am sincerely happy for Deidre Hall and her husband, Steve Sohmer, and it is heartening to know that some dreams do come true. But many of us will never escape the mountain of bills that have accumulated during infertility treatments, and we will never make it past this stage. How sad that money is what separates us. However, hope springs eternal, and we will persevere as long as the doctors will accept our $100-a-month payments.
NAME WITHHELD, San Antonio

As a happily married mother of four healthy children, I served as a surrogate last year. I found that the only people most opposed to my personal decision were: 1) ones who have never experienced infertility: 2) narcissistic or selfish people with little imagination or compassion for others; and 3) men. Surrogate parenting isn't new or evil. Some may call me a baby machine, but I don't mind. I'm proud of all five of my accomplishments.
DEBORAH MORRIS, Beech Grove, Ind.

Deidre Hall's husband says, "I fell it was important to have a child biologically related to one of us." All I can ask is, Why? With millions of needy children around the world waiting for adoption, I'm afraid I can't see this attitude as anything but ego centered. The desire to be a parent should be the desire to guide and love children. I sincerely question the motivations of am one who is only interested in parenting what they perceive as a certified reflection of themselves.
BRAD STILLS, San Francisco

Thank you for sharing some good news about surrogate parenting! My daughter, now 5, was born with the help of a loving surrogate, who devoted 10 months of her time and took all the risks of pregnancy and delivery to help us. As compensation, she received $10,000. Figured hourly, her pay was $1.50, way below minimum wage. For some couples, surrogacy may represent the only option for a genetically related child. I hope lawmakers will keep this in mind when enacting legislation on surrogate parenting.
SHIRLEY ZAGER, Wheeling. Ill.

UP FRONT
Thank you so much for the wonderful story on the Cleveland teens helping the Romanian boy they nicknamed Spike. In these days, when all anyone reports about teens is only the negative things they do, it is really refreshing to sec so many willing to do so much to help someone they didn't even know. Please let us know how Spike's story turns out.
SALLY VESPER, Sunnyvale, Calif.

MANON RHEAUME
I think it's awesome that Manon Rheaume has been given a chance at the NHL. I have always wanted to play hockey. I'm 15 and I still do. Some of the people I know—my dad's one of them—think girls can't play hockey. So thanks, Manon, for proving them wrong!
SARAH CALABRIA, Snohomish, Wash.

PICKS & PANS
Regarding Wilbert Rideau's essay, "Dying in Prison," and in particular the quote "There is no warmth, beauty or meaning, no last pleasures, touches, joys, words. You suffer alone and you die alone...": Mr. Rideau is indeed deserving of journalistic recognition for his profound use of irony. His words quite eloquently describe the death of Julia Ferguson. Should readers not recognize the name, Mrs. Ferguson was kidnapped from her job as a bank teller and, after pleading for her life, was left to die in a ditch by the man who had slit her throat—one Mr. Wilbert Rideau.
MYRA W. NUNNALLY, Sulphur, La.