Jayson Brunsdon’s difficult surrogacy journey detailed in new book
FASHION designer Jayson Brunsdon and his partner Aaron聽have opened up about their journey to parenthood through surrogacy in a new book.
Aaron Elias Brunsdon met聽Jayson 18 years ago at the Stonewall Hotel, hitting it off immediately and discussing the prospect of having children from their first date. From that point, they started a relationship and established a fashion design company together.
However, a few years ago they had a difficult time with business troubles during the global financial crisis and a cancer battle for Jayson.
鈥淚t was a tumultuous time in our lives,鈥� Aaron said. 鈥淲e had a pretty tough time.
鈥淲hen the hard times were over we started looking seriously at having a child.鈥�
Aaron and Jayson had previously considered adoption, but were inspired by a television story about a couple who had pursued surrogacy in India.
鈥淲e contacted [an agency in Thailand] and they were so friendly and so helpful,鈥� Aaron said.
The two wanted their child to be biologically related to both of them, and chose to use Jayson鈥檚 sperm with eggs from Aaron鈥檚 cousin. A Thai surrogate carried their child.
鈥淲e had one go, because we had one egg that worked,鈥� Aaron said. 鈥淪ometimes the IVF process takes years. We were very fortunate and very blessed in that regard.鈥�
During the pregnancy, Thailand outlawed surrogacy.
鈥淲e were told it was going to be very difficult for us to bring our baby home,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t was a constant battle. Three hundred or so couples were stuck there. Finally they gave a one-year grace period, during which time people were allowed to bring their children home, and we went back to Thailand to pick him up.鈥�
There was drama at the airport, though, when they tried to leave.
鈥淭hey detained us. They were making really awful jokes about our sexuality and laughing at us, asking us who the mother was,鈥� Aaron said.
鈥淲e felt discriminated. I don鈥檛 think any parent should have to feel that way, when it鈥檚 supposed to be the most joyous time of your life, and having to experience something so awful.鈥�
The new family almost missed their flight home because of the trouble, but made it back to Australia. Their son, Roman, is now two years old.
鈥淗e鈥檚 two, going on five,鈥� Aaron joked. 鈥淗e talks like a parrot. He鈥檚 the cutest kid in the whole world, but I guess that鈥檚 bias. We鈥檙e really proud parents.鈥�
With laws around surrogacy varying in different jurisdictions, Aaron thinks more regulation and consistency is needed.
鈥淭here needs to be one common law rather than different state laws,鈥� he said.
鈥淎nd there needs to be some form of understanding and acceptance that there are people facing big challenges each day when they鈥檙e trying to become parents. If there鈥檚 a will there鈥檚 a way.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a conversation that really needs to be had. At the end of the day, we鈥檙e just couples that want to be parents.鈥�
Aaron is the author of, which has just been released.
鈥淚 hope that this book will help a lot of other parents. We live in a world where acceptance is so important,鈥� he said.
鈥淭here are so many same-sex couples who have children and want children, and I hope this will inspire them to never lose sight of their dreams. Don鈥檛 let anything stop you.鈥�
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