Leilani Mitchell and Mikaela Dombkins will always remember the tears. Tears of pain. Tears of fear. Tears of hope.
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There were tears because of the 842 days, the 75 needles, surgery, two IVF rounds, biochemical pregnancy, two failed transfers, overseas travel, endometriosis, unresponsive trigger attempts and hyper-stimulations.
Each one represented a different day, a different path, a different emotion. But they refused to give up on their miracle, and they knew the heartache was worth it when they saw son Kash's smile on July 24 last year.
Kash is now the Canberra Capitals mini mascot as the side chases its first WNBL championship in the grand final series, which begins at the AIS Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Having him in the stands makes the moment even sweeter for star guard Mitchell, who joined the Capitals this year, and retired WNBL star Dombkins.
"I was always hopeful it was going to happen, but it was just more about ‘how long is it going to take?’," Mitchell said.
"It was the second try, we had been on the waiting list for donors for nearly two years. It just makes us that much more grateful for the moment he finally arrived. We just fell in love instantly."
Dombkins struggles to describe the feeling. It was as is the weight of the world was lifted from her shoulders. Put simply, nothing will ever compare to the moment she first held their baby in her arms.
"Instantly, seeing Kash really made me take a moment and just realise this is how much our parents love us and how much they do for us," Dombkins said. "He is our whole life and we just live for him."
Rest assured Kash will be on Dombkins' lap to watch Mitchell help Canberra edge towards a drought-breaking title in game one of the grand final series against Adelaide.
Watching from afar will be their families, who have been there on every step of the journey from the heartbreaking lows to the highest of highs.
Dombkins will never forget the reaction she got when she told her family she was finally going to have a baby. They refused to believe her, but that wasn't because of the battle they had endured.
She thought telling her family on Christmas Day was the perfect idea given Mitchell was home before returning to play basketball in Turkey.
The only problem was her sister Mattea had the same idea.
"Long story short, she said ‘I’ve got something for you’. She handed out these things, we opened them and it was saying she was about to have a baby in July," Dombkins said.
"Then I was like ‘sorry to steal your thunder, but so am I’. No one believed either of us."
Mitchell was on a flight back to Turkey soon after Christmas, missing the morning sickness and the long nights.
Dombkins was by no means alone - she moved in with her sister and the pair of them got through the hard times together. While she was on the other side of the world, Mitchell was always just one call away.
"I probably annoyed her quite a bit, because I was like ‘you need to eat!’ over Facetime," Mitchell laughed.
"Of course she was sick and I don’t know what it feels like. It was hard, and I’m so appreciative of the strength she has to go through all of that on her own. I wish I could have been there, it was heartbreaking.
"It was one of my big reasons for coming back to Australia, being away through that pregnancy. I wanted to make sure we had time as a family to all be together during the season."
Mitchell could not have found a club more fitting when she returned to the WNBL. From the moment Paul Goriss began luring her to Canberra, she knew this was the perfect home for a family.
Tracey Peacock's son Bowyn grew up at Capitals training, Michelle Cosier became a mum, Abby Bishop took custody of daughter Zala, Carrie Graf welcomed twins and Nat Hurst juggled playing and motherhood. All in Canberra's inner sanctum.
The introduction of the WNBL's parental policy has made life on the road a dream. Everywhere Mitchell goes, Dombkins and Kash are right there with her.
So charming is the six-month-old, he has become Canberra's unofficial mascot. Every time the seatbelt sign is switched off on a flight Kash is being shared around by his mum's teammates, although good luck getting him off the coach - "Gorrie hogs him the most".
"It just makes it feel like we’re still at home," Mitchell said.
"It’s just been the most tiring thing you’ve ever done, but as soon as he smiles at you in the morning, you forget you’ve woken up 10 times or more through the night.
"It helps us come together. We have much more purpose now we have Kash."
WNBL GRAND FINAL SERIES
Saturday: Game one - Canberra Capitals v Adelaide Lightning at AIS Arena, 5.30pm (AEDT). Tickets from Ticketek. Live on Fox Sports.
Wednesday: Game two - Adelaide Lightning v Canberra Capitals at Adelaide Arena, 7pm (AEDT). Live on Fox Sports.
Saturday: Game three (if necessary) - Canberra Capitals v Adelaide Lightning at AIS Arena, 5.30pm (AEDT). Live on Fox Sports.
