Anthony, Puerto Rican Intended Parent in Garfield, New Jersey, USA

Explain your reasons for wanting a surrogate/donor:

We have contemplated the many ways to have a child - whether it be through fostering, adoption and/or surrogacy.And though all avenues are great options, we can't help but lean towards surrogacy. I believe there is no greater joy than to see your child show signs of your characteristics, explore similarities inherited by you and just knowing that this child is biological connected to you is one of the most amazing things in this life. I am the only child of AMAZING parents who immigrated to the US from Puerto Rico with the American dream. It became my parents' main goal to provide for me what they never had the opportunity to achieve as children and young adults. My parents gave me their all and it is because of them that I am the man I am today - a man of great character. The fact that I am an only child, who is gay and who wouldn't have children the "traditional" way, the question of whether or not my family name would continue on for many generations always was in the back of my mind. The greatest gift I could not only give myself and Ralphy, but my parents, would be children who could carry on our great family name and traditions. It amazes me each and every day that gay couples like myself and my husband, have the opportunity to have biological children through donors/surrogates. It swells my heart that there are women out there that are willing to give us this amazing gift and for that, I will always be grateful. It is because of these women that we will be able to live our dream of becoming parents. It is by far the most selfless act and the purest of gifts anyone can offer another human being. I would assume that it has got to be the most fulfilling gift and that alone will make our match or any other donor/surrogate a special person in our lives - someone who we will forever be indebted to.

How would you best describe yourself(s):

There's a wonderful saying “Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without”.I’d like to share with you, some of the very loving, candid and wonderful things about our love. My husband, Ralphy, and I met in a very modern way, on-line.I saw Ralphy's profile and immediately thought he had an incredible smile so I reached out to him.We emailed back and forth for about 6 weeks until we finally met in person.Our first date went swimmingly and soon, we both started spending every weekend together.Even Milo, my wonder dog, fell in love with Ralphy! I often asked myself how did Ralphy know it was love and it wasn’t until our wedding day that Ralphy expressed to me that a lot had to do with the fact that I was mature and established, my love of friends and family, and Milo, was rubbing off on him.He was starting to love all the things, small and large about me.And realized he might not be able to live without having me in his life. If you asked me the same question - a year into our relationship I realized "Wow, I am in love with this man! Ralphy's everything I’ve ever looked for. Someone who adores me, loves my family, loves kids, has an excellent relationship with his family and friends, I think I found the one!” It was at that very moment that I realized I was someday going to marry this man. In the 6 years we have been together we've shared many life changing milestones.We moved in together, we’ve travelled extensively abroad and here in the U.S.Ralphy got a new job, I received a promotion and most recently, we bought our very first home in New Jersey.Each adventure has grown our love yet made us stronger and more independent men, for ourselves and for each other. And in the Spring of *** I was getting ready for the most life altering milestone, I was ready to pop the all important question, and propose to Ralphy.I purchased a white gold band and made sure to hide it so snoopy Ralphy couldn't find it.And in true gentleman style, I asked Ralphy's mom Jeanine for her blessing.On the afternoon of July 6, *** during a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, I expressed to Ralphy how lucky and happy I was to have him in my life and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.I presented Ralphy with the ring, and Ralphy presented me with an open jaw and a speechless expression.Finally words hit Ralphy and of course he said yes...And here we are today, happily married since June 1, *** I love how Ralphy is generous, kind, loving and wherever Ralphy is, there certainly is an amazing energy.He is selfless with his friends, family and those that surround him. He always thinks of others before thinking of himself.And it doesn't hurt that he does the food shopping and most of the cooking! Since I met him, I see the infinite possibilities of wonderful things we can share as a family.He provides emotional stability and always looks at the brighter side of things.I know Ralphy will be an amazing life partner and an equally amazing parent who is willing to stick with me through the good and the bad, someone who will be willing to take risks with me and someone who will certainly continue to make me a better person. I myself, am determined and have a profound belief in the unity of family.I have immense love for my family bond that I hold very near and dear to my heart.I am a very understanding and compassionate person.I have grown and matured in all aspects of my life and seek to guide does surrounded by me, so they too can see the infinite possibilities life has to offer.Ralphy does not complete me, he compliments me in the most perfect way.Different in many aspects, but the differences show us on a daily basis that we are meant to be together, and in each other's lives, and create a beautiful future together. As we have shared our love with each other and our loved ones, we now prepare for the next chapter in our lives - growing our family and providing unconditional love to a child of our own who we can nurture, protect and love.

Use this space to communicate a letter to potential Surrogates/Donors:

Dear Donor/Surrogate Mother, Hello! We are Ralphy and Anthony. First we would like to say that if you’re reading this, it means that you are contemplating an extraordinary adventure, and that this first encounter may lead to one of the most significant events in our life and yours.Thank you for considering such a remarkable gift.Until we can meet and get to know each other directly, we hope that this brief introduction will give you some insight into who we are. We’ve been married for over 2 years, and are still unabashedly in love with each other.We met 6 years ago online.We fell in love shortly after our first date and were talking about marriage soon afterwards.We were married four years later and immediately made plans to start a family. Obviously, because we are a same sex couple, we have turned to modern medicine to help us, and now, we seek to fulfill our dream with your help. Who are we? Ralphy is an Operations Manager involved in the field of health at an urgent care facility.He is 38 years old, 5'8" tall and weighs a little over *** pounds, has brown hair and beautiful green eyes.His biological father is of Nicaraguan decent, his mother is German and Mexican.Ralphy is the eldest of three boys. He was raised in San Francisco California and has a Bachelor's Degree from San Francisco State University.He is an amazing cook, a great homemaker and a great host.He has a tendency of being the life of the party, but also is a very good listener, and incredibly loyal and loving.He is my best friend. Ralphy LOVES kids and is great around kids - they love being around him. Anthony (myself) am 38 years old, 5'11"., *** (sometimes!),brown hair (now balding) and brown eyes.I am a little shy until I gets to know you.I have a wonderful sense of humor and am a true friend.I am not a great cook like my husband, but am a wonderful host.My parents have been married nearly 45 years, are both Puerto Rican and instilled in me great morals. I was born and raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where I excelled in school and eventually enrolled in City University of New York - Baruch College where I obtained a bachelor's degree in Operations Management. I have been working at American Express for nearly 16 years - specifically managing the company's philanthropic programs such as our employee giving campaign and volunteer programs. I speak fluent Spanish and hope to raise my child/children knowing their heritage. My friends would describe me as loyal, hardworking and extremely witty person. We have always longed for children.We would love to be parents and be given the opportunity to love and nurture a child together from the beginning of his/her life.Surrogacy is a wonderful alternative for us.We have done quite a lot of research on surrogacy, and we realize how incredibly precious a surrogate mother is.Some children are born not wanted by anyone; we feel this child will have a great strength in the knowledge of how VERY much wanted he/she is by all concerned.What a truly beautiful way to begin life! We hope we can share this pregnancy together and remain in contact after birth.We hope to have a warm and friendly relationship together with you and your family during the pregnancy.Hopefully we will be able to have several memorable times together.We want our child to know about you and how generous you are.Our child will be told of the incredible compassion and goodwill between two families that resulted in our child’s birth. This child will have a fun, loving home with two parents who love each other.We will deal with the good and the bad as it comes up.We’ll try not to spoil this child, but since we want the child so much there will probably be a little spoiling! We have a three bedroom home in a lovely neighborhood. Our family lives close by, and we meet once a week. One of our dearest friends lives in our town and we are close to his wife and their young daughter, who happens to be our god-daughter.My parents live in Puerto Rico and Ralphy's parents in California and we try to visit each set of parents at least once a year. Both set of grandparents are eager to become grandparents for the very first time. We offer ...all the love we have, a secure family unit, a huge, loving and welcoming extended family, healthy and committed Papi and Dad, a secure financial situation and home, and unending love and respect for our Surrogate mother and her family.Without your help we will not have a family.You are giving more than just the "Gift of Life", as incredibly precious as that is in itself, you would also be in the truly unique position of bringing extreme joy and a new beginning to hearts that are filled with unconditional love. We hope and pray that you are out there somewhere.That you read our story and that you and your family find us to be "Just Right". Here's a little taste of our love for one another and those who surround us. *** Hoping to find you.......