From a long-distance relationship to building their family across continents, Alo and Javi’s journey shows the power of resilience and connection. Their story highlights both the challenges of international surrogacy and the joy of finally welcoming your first baby.
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For Alo, the dream of parenthood once felt impossible.
"I remember the first time I thought I was gay…I felt scared. Scared of being bullied, scared of what my parents and family would think," he recalls. "As I grew older, my fears only got stronger - I remember thinking, 'I’m never going to be a dad.'"
At the age of 21, Alo finally felt ready to come out. "I remember feeling like I had removed such a big burden off my shoulders. But the fears didn’t just go away—would I ever fall in love? Would I ever be able to fulfill my dream of being a father?"
Years later, Alo not only found love with his partner Javi, but also his path to parenthood.
Alo is originally from Mexico City, Mexico and Javi from Buenos Aires, Argentina. They first met in 2012 through a mutual friend — Alo was living in Vancouver at the time, and Javi had just moved to Mexico City.
After some long-distance dating, Alo moved back to Mexico City in 2014 and they made their relationship official. One year later, Javi’s job took him to Paris. Determined not to do long distance again, the couple decided to move there together in 2015.
A few years later, the two got engaged.
From the very beginning, Alo and Javi were open with each other about wanting to be dads. "We actually talked about having kids on our very first date," they say.
While living in Europe, they began exploring surrogacy as a potential pathway to fatherhood. In 2016, they traveled from Spain to the U.S. to attend Men Having Babies, a surrogacy-focused conference for hopeful dads.
It was there that they met Dr. Mark Leondires, Illume Fertility’s Founder and Medical Director.
"From the first moment we met, he made us feel seen and supported," Javi says. "Because of his personal family-building experience, we knew he understood not only the medical side, but also the emotional part of what it means for two men to become parents through surrogacy."
That initial meeting was an important turning point.
The couple took time afterward to prepare financially and emotionally. Following their wedding in March 2019, they finally felt ready to begin the process in earnest.
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After deciding to move forward with U.S.-based Illume Fertility as their clinic and Circle Surrogacy as their full-service agency, the couple were soon matched with two amazing women: an egg donor, followed by a gestational carrier (surrogate) named Kerry.
"It was love at first sight - we had so much in common!" Alo and Javi recall of the first conversation they had with Kerry. "We felt so fortunate to have matched with such an amazing and unique woman."
After navigating the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process at Illume, Alo and Javi decided to transfer a single embryo. They stayed in touch with Kerry after her embryo transfer, holding out hope for some positive news.
Ten days after their transfer, they found out that they were pregnant. During Kerry's first pregnancy ultrasound, they were even more shocked to learn (via video call) that their tiny embryo had split into two, and that they were now expecting identical twin girls!
This was an exciting, joyous time for the dads-to-be as they dreamed of their future.
Sadly, around Week 16 of pregnancy, Alo and Javi found out that one of their twins' heartbeats had inexplicably stopped. The loss was a shock to all of them, including their surrogate, Kerry.
The couple describes that experience as a very difficult, dark time: "We just didn’t expect anything like that to happen. It was so hard, but we knew that we still had one baby on the way, and she was what kept us going."
That simple truth held them steady as they carried both grief and hope in their hearts.
As the dads-to-be mourned the loss of Maria's twin sister, they focused on the happiness that was still yet to come. Their pregnancy announcement captured the gratitude and joy they felt:
"Over a year ago, we started what has become the most amazing journey of our lives. Through Circle Surrogacy and Illume Fertility, our dream of becoming dads is finally coming true - María is on her way! Vamos a ser papás."
Living in Barcelona, Spain during their surrogacy journey meant relying on close communication to bridge the distance. Alo and Javi stayed connected to their surrogate Kerry and her family (who lived in Florida) with regular texts, Skype calls, and shared photos.
Just before international travel shut down in 2020 (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the dads-to-be got to take a trip to Florida to meet Kerry and her family face-to-face.
When the pandemic made more in-person visits impossible, technology became their lifeline. They were present virtually for every important moment, including their embryo transfer.
Surprisingly, "being thousands of miles apart actually brought us closer together," Alo says.
Photos: Alo, Javi, and their daughter Maria over the years.
As COVID-19 restrictions evolved, the dads-to-be had to stay in close communication with their team and plan ahead. They arrived in the United States in February of 2021, a few weeks before their March due date, in order to secure special travel permission from the embassy.
On March 16, 2021, their long-awaited baby girl arrived.
In Maria's birth announcement, the new dads wrote, "The past couple of days have been the most amazing of our lives, getting to know each other and bonding as a family. This tiny little one stole our hearts from the first moment we saw her. We will always make sure she knows about all the amazing people who helped bring her into our lives."
The days and weeks after Maria's birth brought some frustrating legal hurdles and unexpected delays - exacerbated by the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Weeks later, the family was still in a holding pattern, waiting for her passport.
Securing Maria's documents and a new passport during the pandemic was complex, but with guidance from their care team and help from Alo's family who lives in Florida, they were finally able to bring their baby girl back home to Spain.
Key takeaway
Having an experienced legal team (which some surrogacy agencies like Circle offer in-house) can make all the difference when trying to navigate this complex process.
Alo and Javi say that their relationship with Kerry remains a deeply cherished part of their story: "Kerry and her family are some of our favorite people in the whole world; we will always be thankful to them for giving us this indescribable gift and unique feeling of joy."
When they returned to Florida (with 3-year old Maria in tow) for a visit with Kerry in 2024, they shared, "Three years later, and we’re still filled with gratitude for you and your beautiful family, who made our dreams of parenthood a reality. Watching Maria laugh and play with you and your kids was a moment we’ll cherish forever."
On Kerry’s birthday, they posted a special message: "Today, we're not just celebrating another year of your life, we are also celebrating the incredible person who made our dreams come true," they wrote. "Our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude for the most significant gift someone could ever give, the gift of life and love. Kerry, you are a true angel who blessed our lives in the most extraordinary way."
The two families remain close to this day, communicating regularly, sharing photos, and looking forward to future visits together.
Alo and Javi say that parenthood has been everything they hoped it would be. They also recognize how important it was to have a 'village' of people who have helped them along the way.
As a two-dad family with a beautiful network of support, they choose to celebrate not only Father's Day, but Mother's Day too.
They honor the women in their lives who help shape Maria’s world, from their egg donor to their gestational carrier to the close relatives who support their family day-to-day. "We celebrate Mother’s Day in our home, because Maria is lucky to grow up surrounded by women who inspire and guide her every day - like her grandmothers!"
"Every moment, every laugh, and every hug reminds us of the unique and beautiful family we have built. Love knows no boundaries, and our hearts are filled with pride and joy for the family we are," they posted on Instagram on Father's Day.
Photos: Kerry, Alo & Javi during pregnancy; first family photos; Alo, Maria, Javi & Kerry during a recent visit.
Alo and Javi’s decision to travel abroad for their surrogacy journey reflects a broader reality: For many international families, pursuing surrogacy at home is simply not an option.
The United States, by contrast, offers inclusive, advanced fertility care, clear parental rights in many states, and a well-established framework that protects both intended parents and surrogates.
A large retrospective study published in Fertility and Sterility found that of more than 40,000 embryo transfers to gestational carriers performed between 2014 and 2020, nearly one third of the transfers involved international intended parents.
Illume Fertility is proud to provide truly comprehensive care for international patients seeking surrogacy support and fertility care.
With over 2,000 successful surrogacy journeys, LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader status from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), an in-house egg donor program, dedicated team support, and convenient locations near major New York-area airports, Illume is the premier destination for international surrogacy.
We have supported patients from more than 50 countries through award-winning care and our unique Global Concierge program, which helps intended parents manage logistics like travel planning, preparing documentation, making trusted legal referrals, and scheduling appointments around your travel plans so you can focus on what matters most: building your family.
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Looking back, Alo often thinks about the fears that once weighed on him — that he might never fall in love, never have the chance to be a dad, never feel free to live fully as himself.
Today, those fears have been replaced with pure gratitude.
"I have a beautiful family and the support of all the people I love and care about," he says. "For anyone struggling with similar fears, don’t give up on your dreams. You deserve love, happiness, and a life that feels true to you."
Alo and Javi’s story is proof that building a family may sometimes take courage, persistence, and thousands of miles, but the love and joy on the other side make every challenge worthwhile.