It seems a Muslim woman in the Russian Republic of Bashkiria is said to have given birth to a baby after 14 years of fertility treatment.

Nothing particularly strange about that, but it seems she became pregnant after saying a prayer in an Orthodox Christian church dedicated to St. Nicholas.

Speaking with the Russian newspaper, Pravda, the woman said: “I’m a Muslim, but for some reason I believed that it (the icon – IF) will help me.”

The woman decided to make the prayer after friends advised her to go to the Church. After all, she had nothing to lose since both her marriage and fertility treatment had failed.

It must have been a frightening experience for her – a Muslim entering a Christian Church. Undaunted though, she was encouraged to say a prayer just in case.

The simple prayer was: “Nicholas the Wonderworker help me, give us a son, please…”. The woman then removed her gold chain, and offered it up as a gift to the St. Nicholas icon.

Ironically, St. Nicholas, to whom the prayer was dedicated and gift offered, is the same saint who is the basis for the traditional myth of Santa Claus.

This is all probably just a coincidence. Miracle or not, it no longer matters; both mother and baby Tamerlan are doing well.

In related news, while the Russian woman believes her prayer was answered, others rely on other external agencies.

Surrogacy is booming, but still causing great consternation for many people. While a miracle baby is something that most people will shout about with joy, surrogacy, like abortion raises the hackles for many, not least because it raises some serious questions.

Some anti surrogates believe fervently that gestational carriers, as they are generally referred to are little more than baby factories for infertile rich people.

On the other hand, many people see surrogacy as a last resort for something they desperately want. A recent example of this is Elton John’s new baby born to a surrogate mother in the United States.

Whether surrogacy will ever truly be accepted as a proper alternative to having your own baby is open to debate.