We came from opposite sides of the planet, but our story together began when we met in grade 10, in Ontario. Rory couldn’t be more Canadian, born and raised in London Ontario, and Shawn couldn’t be more Thai, except for the fact that he found himself on the other side of the world going to school in Canada. The two of us were completely antagonized by each other, “how can this person possibly see the world like this,” and in no time at all we became inseparable. We got each other through some of the worst of times and shared in some of the same tribulations with homophobia and with family strife, we leaned on one another. In fact, we later found out that our high-school’s highest administration group had repeatedly gathered to discuss our relationship – turns out we were the first gay students to have an open relationship. We separated for university, unfortunately, but upon graduation we immediately moved in together in Toronto and got married. We still have the rings we bought each other in grade 12.
Rory / I was born in London, Ontario, raised there with a large extended family on both sides. My family works in construction and, through hard work, ambition, and not a little bit of luck, my parents have provided a very stable and privileged life for me. My mother used to be a nurse working in an ER in London, so she is very health conscious and I was never able to fake a sick day. I started working on construction sites at a young age, every summer, and continued to do so until finishing my studies in writing and communication, which has always been important to me. My family was always very physically active, playing soccer and hockey but more and more lacrosse was our go-to sport. I was never overly competitive, but sports were a common activity growing up (and through to university). We are a liberal family, my paternal grandmother was very involved in local politics in London, battling many stuffy old men over charity work and eventually became a whip for the liberals. We eventually moved closer to Toronto, as did some of my uncles and aunts, but we always get back together a few times a year for annual gatherings in Stratford or Grand Bend.
Shawn / I was born in Thailand, so Canada was a big change for me when I came here for school. I was raised in a much warmer climate, learned several languages at a young age, and was able to travel around to several countries beyond my own, which is how I came to Canada for school. I had intended to rejoin my family in Thailand after university, but I’ve decided that Canada is the place I want to call home. I still call my family almost every day and visit them at least once a year to stay in touch. My fondest memories of my childhood all involved my siblings, there was nothing we loved more than playing games with each other, we were a great team (and still are thanks to online games!).
The two of us are men, so unable to have kids, but we have been talking about this since we were 16 years old, really thinking about whether this is something we wanted to do. For many years we discussed adoption, and it was a near thing, but we eventually decided that – if we could afford it – we’d like to try for IVF. We are so excited to start a family and currently have enough embryos for three pregnancies!
Rory / I currently manage the marketing for the tech division of a major construction firm. I used to work on-site as a summer student, but eventually graduated and moved over to the office where my communication skills could be put to better use. My childhood curiosity with technology lent itself rather well to that environment, and I’ve now gravitated over to assist the firm with their endeavors in software development and so on. As for hobbies, I was an avid reader and writer as a child, my childhood and university friends have all split up, but we stay connected with weekly games of D&D. It’s been an amazing outlet for creative writing, and I can’t wait to guide my own kids on fun-filled adventures of their own!
Shawn / I have found a love in being a homemaker and taking care of our two beloved dogs. We have DeeDee, a sleepy English Bulldog, and Dexter, a fluffy German Shepherd who loves hugs. Taking care of them, getting better and better at cooking, and keeping in touch with family and friends online really helped get me through COVID. I really enjoy going into Hamilton and taking strolls through the trails and bikes along the waterfront, the same paths I took during my time at University. I am also a big swimmer, even set an Ontario record back in high-school!
We will cover all pregnancy related costs for our surrogate, and will be as involved as she is comfortable with the process. Of course, we’ll also be doing our own program to ensure that we are ready for parenthood!
Surrogacy is an amazing thing for someone to do for us, and we’d happily send recurring updates to them and thanks for what they’ve done. Our child would be loved by our big family, we spend most of our summer at the cottage. A big part of that includes beaches/fishing and a lot of boat activities. We also spend a month together with the family in St. Lucia every Xmas.