Dear Tummy Mummy,

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our letter. It means so much to us and we’re already so grateful you have such a kind and loving heart.

What’s a ‘Tummy Mummy’ you ask? We’re hoping that could be you… the most incredible and generous superstar who could partner with us, as our surrogate to help bring our family dreams to life. We see our surrogate as a powerful part of our child’s creation story that should be celebrated. That’s why we’d love for you to be forever in our lives, affectionately called their ‘Tummy Mummy’.

Now might be a good time to introduce ourselves! We’re Ryan (45) and Shane (35) all the way from Melbourne, Australia. We met over thirteen years ago (wow where has that time gone!). Our ‘meet cute’ is a tale as old as time… enter Ryan, the waiter and Shane, the happy hour loving customer. Cut to several cocktails later and the help of a friend who managed to scrawl Shane’s number on a napkin… and the rest is history! We formed an instant connection and dating quickly turned to boyfriends and then over six years ago, to husbands.

Over the years we’ve gone on countless adventures, stamping our passport across Europe (un autre croissant s’il vous plaît!), the United states (New York broadway all the way!) and Asia (surfs up!). Not to mention our love of Australia (road trips!).

We’ve cheered each other on with our careers. Ryan’s a Creative Director in Advertising… lights, camera, action! Work feels more like play when you’re lucky enough to be on the set of commercials. And Shane’s a Banker in Financial Crime… look out criminals, Shane’s coming for you!

Our weekends are action packed and if we’re down at our Phillip Island beach house, they usually go something like this; a sunrise surf, a delightful dog walk by the beach, a daring DIY project or three, a hearty home-cooked dinner, a spectacular seaside sunset and then if we can manage to keep our eyes open… a French film coupled with cuddles on the couch!

As much as we’ve grown together over the years, one thing has always remained the same... our desire to have a family. As two gay men, there are a few obstacles. The obvious ones being biological, the disappointing ones being fostering in Australia and international adoption still have big barriers because of our sexuality (I know right!).

Then two things happened that changed everything. The first, we did a deep into surrogacy which led us to Canada and the Fearless community, who are so aligned to our values. The second, Shane’s sister Michelle, who is the most beautiful human inside and out, offered to be our egg donor. We feel so honoured we’ve been able to create embryos that give us the closest biological link to each other possible, thanks to her generosity. We currently have two PGTA tested embryos with another round of IVF happening soon.

The third thing that will really change everything, is you. We’re going to need your help to overcome the biggest challenge yet. But with every challenge, comes opportunities. Not only is there the opportunity for us to start a family thanks to your incredible gift, but to also form a lifelong connection with you, our Tummy Mummy. As you explore our profile, we hope you see our love for each other and our love for life, of which we hope to share with our very own children. We hope our values connect with yours and that you’ll join us in writing the next chapter of our story.

Oh, and one more thing… here’s a little poem we wrote!

Will you be our Tummy Mummy?

We’re two Aussie boys who met years ago

And day after day, our love does grow

So much so we’ll be together forever

Side by side wherever and whenever

Together we go on adventures and explore

But we’ve always known we want one thing more

To hold a baby in our arms, an unbelievable family

We’ll need a superstar to help make dreams a reality

Will you be our Tummy Mummy?

Who’ll make our days eternally sunny

Your gift’ll mean more than words can say

And in our lives you’ll always stay

Will you be our Tummy Mummy?

All the way from another country

Our distance may span many an ocean

We’ll close the gap with the power of emotion

Will you be our Tummy Mummy?

Who we’ll support through the tough times and the funny

Every journey has bumps in the road

But we’ll always be there to share the load

Will you be our Tummy Mummy?

Whose love is just as sweet as honey

When one day we reflect on our history

We’ll smile and say ‘what a beautiful story’

Thank you again for reading our letter,

Ryan and Shane