Gay couples from across North America are gathering in North Texas this weekend for the Men Having Babies Conference and Expo.
The gathering is designed to help those couples traverse the process of adoption and surrogacy.
“The resources are out there and people can find them, be able to find agencies and placements, egg donors and understand and see if that path is right for your family because every family is individual,” Adam Hurst, a father, explained.
Adam and Shawn Hurst of Irving have twin sons. Adam’s sister helped this family form through surrogacy. The couple realizes that not everyone has a family member ready and willing to help out.
“I hope that everyone who is looking to become a parent has the opportunity and the resources to do able to get there,” Adam said. “Having these two guys in our life is probably the biggest blessing ever.”
The surrogacy journey can be costly. On average, it costs $130,000 and could take up to two years.
“It’s extremely overwhelming. There’s a lot of things you never even thought of before and there’s a lot of cost and there are providers that can help,” Michael Wetson, a conference board member, explained.
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“There are people that actually care and they want to help people. I would have been a good idea to have more than just out knowledge,” Shawn Hurst added. “If we would have had people who have been through this, it would have done a lot more for us.”
Experts and specialists will be present at the conference at the Wyndham Hotel at 7800 Alpha Road in Dallas. The conference is Saturday and Sunday.
More information: Men Having Babies Dallas Conference
