Dear future miracle-maker,

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read our letter. It feels a little strange and yet very special to write a letter to someone we don’t know yet. If you are reading this, you might be someone who is thinking about helping us change our lives forever. It takes a truly special kind of person to help others in this way, and we don’t take that for granted, not even for a second.

We are Niels and Clayton, and we have been together for almost seven years. Like many couples, we built our relationship step by step, but there was one thing that was always there from the beginning: the wish to become parents together. It’s a feeling we both carry very deeply.

One of the first ways we gave shape to that wish was by becoming foster parents to two twin girls more than four years ago. They came into our lives when they were six years old and are about to turn 11 next month (and bring an attitude that goes with an 11 year old haha). They stay with us every other weekend and our home completely changes when they are there, in the best possible way. There are early mornings, long “getting ready” routines, movie nights with popcorn, laughter and a bit of chaos. One of the most meaningful parts of our lives over the past few years has been caring for these two girls who carry a lot of emotional baggage with them.

Being part of their lives has taught us what it means to really be there for a child, not just in the fun moments, but also in the more difficult ones. It showed us how natural it feels for us to care, guide, and love. And if anything, it made one thing even clearer: we would love nothing more than to have a child of our own.

Getting to this point hasn’t been a straight line for us. Over the past few years, we explored different paths to becoming parents, including co-parenting. Some of those journeys came quite far, but in the end we realized they weren’t the right fit for the kind of family we hope to build. That was sometimes difficult, but it also brought us here, to a path that feels right in our hearts: surrogacy.

And that is what brings us here, writing this letter to you! The idea that you would even consider helping us in this way honestly feels incredible to us. It’s hard to put into words how much respect we have for that, it fills us with gratitude. You are not just helping to create a child, you are helping to create a family. Our family. We see this as something deeply special, not just a process, but a connection between people who come together to create something life-changing.

A little bit about us as people. We live in Amsterdam, right in the city center. Our life is a mix of being active, social, and also really enjoying being at home. Niels works as Head of Philanthropy at a private bank which basically means he and his team advice wealthy clients how to impactfully donate to all sorts of causes. Next to that he also sits on a few foundation supervisory boards. Clayton has a background in events and has his own company that focuses on creating and producing all sort of corporate events, from seated dinners to whole summits.

Our weekends are often filled with simple, happy things: going for walks, exercising, having dinner with friends, or spending time with family. Niels is usually the early riser, going for a walk with our dog Boaz and heading to the pool for a swim, while Clayton... prefers to stay in bed a little longer (Clayton would say “enjoying a slow morning,” Niels would say “sleeping in too much”). When the girls stay with us, our home becomes a bit more lively, filled with early mornings, laughter, movie nights and small everyday routines that we cherish.

In many ways, we are quite different people. We often think about things from completely different perspectives, sometimes even the opposite. But that is exactly what makes us work so well. Niels is caring, thoughtful and very engaged with the world around him. Clayton is deeply loyal, warm and someone who will always show up for the people he loves. Together, we have built a stable, loving relationship with honesty and mutual respect.

We challenge and balance each other. At the same time, when it comes to the really important things in life, like building a home or creating a family, we are always completely aligned.

We both love spending time with friends and family, having long dinners and a bit of traveling. Our families and friends also mean a lot to us and have been incredibly supportive of this journey.

If we are lucky enough to go on this journey with you, we hope to build a relationship that feels warm and open. Not something formal, something human. We understand that everyone is different, and we would always want to find a way of communicating that feels right for you. Whether that is messages, calls, sharing little updates, or simply checking in with each other. Even though we live in the Netherlands, we would love to stay closely involved throughout the pregnancy in a way that works for all of us and to be there for the most important moments.

And after the pregnancy, we would love to stay connected in a way that feels good for you. Because what you would do for us is not something we could ever see as “just a moment in time’’. You would always be part of our story. And we would always want you to know how much that means to us.

If we are fortunate enough to have a child, we will always tell them their story with honesty and pride. We will tell them about a kind, incredible woman in Canada who helped us make our biggest dream come true. Someone very special, who will always have a place in our lives.

We realize that what we are asking is something extraordinary. And we want you to know that we approach this with the deepest gratitude. We would be there for you, support you, and do everything we can to make this journey as positive as possible for you as well.

And maybe most importantly: we would do this together. Thank you for being here, for reading this, and for even considering something so meaningful. We hope that if you feel a connection with our story, even just a small one, this could be the beginning of something truly special.

With warmth, gratitude, and a lot of hope,

Niels & Clayton