Help the Kanes Realize Their Parenting Dream

We are ready to start making our parenting dream a reality! We had been exploring adoption as a more reasonable financial option, but through a series of fortunate events we've met a wonderful woman who has agreed to be a surrogate for us. While it makes the process easier and cheaper for us in the long run, there are still many costs associated with the surrogacy process, and that's if everything goes smoothly the first time around. Even so, we are already aggressively saving up money and planning on taking out a loan to cover everything.

In addition to the process, we're also up against policies that don't work in our favor, such as only being able to take 3 weeks paid for parental leave. With the money we raise here, anything that doesn't get used toward the surrogacy process will be used to allow us to spend as much time with our new baby as possible.

We know that this will be an emotional journey full of highs and lows, and we are so grateful that you're considering donating to our cause and helping us reduce some of the financial stress so we can focus on preparing to be the best parents we can be. We can't wait to meet our child, and we can't wait for you to meet them either!

What would it mean for us to become parents?

AJ: I have wanted to be a parent for as long as I can remember, even before I bullied my parents into having a third kid. I even wrote a paper in college with an introduction all about how I'd rather be a stay at home parent so I could spend as much time with my kids as possible, laughing and playing and teaching them to be strong, empathetic, and kind people. When I first came out, same sex marriage wasn't even legal in our state, and it hit me hard that it would be nearly impossible for me to ever have my own family. Little 14-year-old me would be moved to tears knowing where I am now: married to the love of my life, working in a career that I adore and am passionate about, living in the most perfect Desperate Housewives house, and so close to finally having a child of our own. Finally becoming a parent would mean everything to me - it would be a dream come true.

Dylan: I wish I had examples from my early life to explain why I want to be a parent as much as my husband does, but I don't have any. While he was interviewing me on our first date, though, he asked if I wanted a big family and I remember thinking "what a silly question, of course I do." I've always envisioned myself becoming a dad, but I assumed it was one of those things that was just going to happen someday and I hadn't given it much more thought than "that'll be fun when it happens". Since that first question from my future husband I've been thinking more often about what it would mean to start a family. We'll be able to create new memories like the ones I cling to from my childhood. We'll be able to share the people and places that we love so our child can see how amazing the world can be. We'll be able to fill our home with even more love and laughter. Now that becoming a parent is closer and more real, it still feels like a silly question, not because I'm taking the notion of starting a family for granted, but because I'm certain it'll be the start of the best part of our lives.