Daniel and Julius

Medical Information:

General Health:

We are both in good health.

Fertility Information:

We have 18 embryos created, 10 of them have been tested already. We are using donor eggs. The donation was semi-known with the help of a donor from PEI, Canada.

Fertility Clinic:

Victory Reproductive Care in Windsor, Ontario.

Why are you looking for a Surrogate?

We share the opinion that surrogacy can be a deeply meaningful path for gay male couples to build a family. It allows us to have a biological connection to our child while also creating a unique bond with the Surrogate who helps bring our dream to life. She will make our biggest dream come true and we will be forever thankful to her. It is a way to celebrate love, commitment, and the desire to nurture a new life together. Without surrogacy it is impossible for us to have a child or children.

Tell us about your family & loved ones.

Daniel’s mum is great, we see each other at least twice a week. She cannot wait to become grandma again. We even live just a few minutes walk from each other. We care for each other and take part of each others lives, even more since Daniel’s dad died far too early in 2020. Daniel’s brother lives with his wife and two boys (rascals and angels) also in walking distance. We plan to build a house in this area, so there will be always caring and loving people around including cousins to play with. The family is fully informed about our journey and supports us. They take part and are curious about every step forward we do and share the joy of progress with us. 

Julius comes from a great family of architects. His mother, father and his brother (even his sister-in-law!) are all architects. They have a great bond and even though they live miles apart now they stay in great contact and visit each other whenever they can and every other day they Facetime. His family supports us very much on our surrogacy journey and are excited to welcome our children in the future.

Our friends and coworkers are loving people who also support us on our journey of becoming fathers. They even offer like our family to play an active role when our child/children are born and would like to become godfathers and godmothers.

Would you like to attend appointments with your Surrogate?

We would love to attend all appointments with our Surrogate. Realistically we cannot do all in person in Canada as we live in Liechtenstein in Central Europe. We will travel to Canada some time before the birth date and support the Surrogate in person. We would like to get to know her better. This allows us to build a stronger connection with our Surrogate and actively participate in her life.

As traveling is not always feasible, we hope that our Surrogate is open to sharing updates via video calls, emails, or messaging apps, that we can join appointments virtually through platforms like Skype, Zoom, or Facetime. This would be also a way to share detailed updates after appointments, including baby measurements, lab results, and ultrasound images. This would keep us informed and involved even from distance.

What are your thoughts on termination of a pregnancy due to genetic abnormalities or complications related to the pregnancy?

We have thought a lot about these questions. The health of our child AND the Surrogate are of highest importance for us. Therefore if the embryo shows - despite all tests etc. we and the egg donor have done already - genetic abnormalities or the pregnancy becomes life-threatening to our Surrogate the pregnancy should be terminated, which will be a challenging moment for all of us.

If the Surrogate becomes pregnant with multiples, how would you feel? How do you feel about the possibility of selective reduction being recommended due to a multiple pregnancy?

We would be definitely surprised. Up to two children (twins) we think we can handle multiples. With regard to the Surrogate's health and our situation (first-time-parents) we think it would be best to reduce to twins if there are more than 2.

Are you vaccinated for Covid-19? Do you have a preference for a Surrogate to have been vaccinated for Covid-19?

We are both Covid-19 vaccinated. We have no preference for our Surrogate regarding Covid-19-vaccination.

What kind of relationship do you want to have with your Surrogate during the pregnancy?

We would like to build a growing relationship with our Surrogate, to know her better and bond with her. Giving birth to our child makes her a big part of our extended family. We would like to keep regular contact during the pregnancy by text messages, phone calls or Facetime. We can even imagine planning our holidays near where the Surrogate lives to spend some time with her and know her better during pregnancy and not only a few days before giving birth. This allows us to build a stronger connection with our Surrogate and actively participate in her life.

Do you want to be in the delivery room when your child is born?

We feel like it would be amazing to be there; however, we understand that births are unpredictable, and we completely support our Surrogate in making whatever choice she feels is best in the moment.

What kind of relationship do you hope to have with your Surrogate after the birth of your child?

We would like to have this growing connection also after our baby is born. As long as we are in Canada we would like to meet her personally from time to time and afterwards we would like to keep in contact by regular text messages and picture exchanges through Whatsapp and/or video calls through Zoom, Facetime etc.

Would you be open to a home birth?

We prefer that the birth is given in a hospital in case - which will hopefully not be the case - of birth complications or a needed C-section.

Are you open to midwifery care?

We know there are many positive experiences regarding OBGYN and midwifes. We have a strong belief that an OBGYN care would be the safest both for the Surrogate and our child. We know that midwifes could establish a deeper connection with a Surrogate given the fact that they spend more time together. We are open to consult a midwife during pregnancy. During the end stages of the pregnancy we wish an OBGYN being involved, as we want to ensure a safe birth in the hospital for the Surrogate and the baby. Next to that a midwife can be there for further support of the Surrogate. She shall then have people around her she trusts and can rely on an established and confident relationship.

Would you like your Surrogate to provide breastmilk?

If our Surrogate is open to it, yes. We would appreciate any breastmilk our Surrogate is willing to give while we are in Canada with our newborn and near her, but it is not conditional for us.

What will you tell the child about the Surrogate, and the circumstances of their birth? If your child asks to meet the Surrogate, how will you feel?

We would be very happy to see and meet our Surrogate and her family in person again. We are sure that it will be a very unique moment for us all when we will be re-united and share more time together. Even before our child will express this wish, we would use age-appropriate measures and communication to talk openly how our little treasure came into our lives. An open, honest and complete information is crucial for us. We would like to be in steady contact with the Surrogate after the birth.

If the transfer is unsuccessful, will you want to try again? If so, how soon after?

Yes, if possible as soon as possible as the clinic recommends.

If this surrogacy journey is successful, would you want to complete a sibling journey? What do you envision that looking like? (timeline, same Surrogate etc.)

Yes. We would like to have our two children with a short time between one birth to the other and if possible with the same Surrogate. We do understand this may not be possible and it would be completely up to the discretion of the Surrogate.

What are your plans for childcare once the child is born?

In the first weeks Daniel and Julius will take 100 % of the childcare together and welcome together our new family member to the fullest. After parental leave, Daniel will reduce his work as a lawyer and Member of Parliament. He will be a fulltime-dad. Julius will continue his work as a medical doctor. We have our families, friends and even colleagues who have said they will all support us with childcare. They are already asking us when our first child will be born as they cannot wait for it! After a few years we plan that our child will go to the kindergarden, which is just a few hundred meters away from home. In case we would be overwhelmed we would consider a part-time-nanny.

What does a typical weekend look like for you?

If possible we plan our weekend well ahead. Usually we go to our mountain cabin to enjoy nature and relax. In the mountains we are very much awaited by the wild squirrels and birds which we feed all year around. Sometimes we even see deer and wild rabbits around the house. We also like to prepare for the following week by doing our grocery shopping and laundry. Very often we have our friends or family visiting us. That is a great opportunity for us to cook together and try new recipes. If the weather is good we enjoy outdoor sports, especially cycling in summer and skiing in winter. We also love a cozy weekend with time to read, playing the piano and cuddling in front of the fireplace.

What are some of your interests/ activities?

We both play the piano, we love to read, staying active (fitness, skiing, cycling, swimming) and spending time with friends and family. Daniel is a great Lego enthusiast and shows joy like a little boy when he builds something. His new project is a Lego Christmas decoration. Julius loves trying new cooking recipes and improving his cooking skills. If possible and time allows, we travel and discover the world. Our journeys to Canada are some of our best memories and we look forward to coming back soon!

Other fun facts:

We both come from rather small countries, both countries start with ‘LIE’

• Usually we have to explain where our home countries are located

• We met for the first time on father’s day

• Exactly 6.5 years later we get married

• Julius has been born early in the morning and is a night-owl. Daniel has been born in the afternoon and is an early-bird

‘Julius and Daniel met each other for the first time March 19, 2019. Exactly 6.5 years later we will get married in Vaduz. Daniel fought from 2008 on for the registered partnership act including a referendum as an activist and later for the marriage for all as a member or parliament. Julius supported him and both co-organized and supported the first three Prides in Liechtenstein, where we could welcome numerous members of Diplomats for Equality, including the Canadian Ambassador and his wife.
We strongly believe and know that caring for each other and especially for the people who cannot fight for themselves, is very fulfilling.
We hope that after becoming a legally recognized married couple we will be soon promoted to be fathers. It really has been a dream of ours since almost our first meeting in March 2019.’