Intended parents

Alex Zoubine

Doing their journey in Canada

About them

Starting worlds apart, we've always dreamed of one day being parents together. With patience and perseverance, we have built a warm, loving home, ready and eager to welcome little bundles of joy.

Relationship status

Married

When we met in 2014, we were literally worlds apart. At the time, Joe was studying at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, while Alex was a volunteer teacher in West Africa for the United States Peace Corps where he taught English and worked on community projects that would improve health, education, and youth empowerment. In spite of Alex's spotty Internet connection that would go out any time it rained, we struck up a conversation online. Pretty soon, we were sending each other long emails sharing our hopes and dreams. Even then, one of the things we had in common was that we both wanted to build a family someday.

After Alex returned to the US to start graduate school, we met in person and discovered our connection was even stronger than we could have hoped. A year later, we were living in New York City together, supporting each other through the ups and downs of young professional life. We married in 2018 in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by friends and family in one of our favorite parks – overlooking the iconic Hudson River at sunset. As we kissed, even bystanders visiting the park that day joined in cheering. While we always knew we were interested in raising children, it wasn’t until we bought a beautiful home in 2021 that we truly felt ready to take the first steps to parenthood. In 2024, we attended the Men Having Babies conference in New York City, a conference that gave us the confidence and the knowledge to begin our journey toward parenthood in earnest.

As we have gone forward with our journey, we have gotten nothing but love and support from both of our families and all of our friends. Everyone is eager to meet the children we hope to raise one day.

Their journey

Home area

40 McBride Avenue, White Plains, NY, USA

Approximate area

Journey country

Canada

Financial preparedness

We have saved up more than enough money to handle the financial requirements of a surrogacy journey.

Embryos

Yes.

We have 5 PGT-A confirmed euploid (healthy) embryos.

Clinic

Marham Fertility Centre

What they're looking for

Their hopes and requirements for a surrogate

The relationship we hope to build

We would like to match with someone who has strong communication skills and we would prefer to get to know our surrogate and stay in close touch throughout the journey.

Overall, we would like to be as involved as our location and the surrogate's comfort level allow.

If possible, we would like to virtually attend doctor's visits with the surrogate (by phone and/or video calls). We would like to be present at delivery. After birth, we would like to continue to share updates and maintain as much communication as our surrogate prefers.

Vaccination information

We would prefer to match with someone who has all generally available and recommended vaccines and who is willing to accept vaccination requirements from our clinic.

Views on termination

We are not interested in selective reduction except in cases of serious medical emergency.

We only wish to consider terminating a pregnancy if fetus(es) have severe abnormalities or would not have a good quality of life without unusual suffering.

The intended parents

Alex Zoubine(He/Him)

36 years old

Communicates in

English

Occupation

Data Analytics

Sexual orientation

Gay

Fun facts about me

I lived in West Africa for 2 years where I worked as a volunteer teacher. The experience was amazing and very formative - especially since I lived in a little village without running water and (mostly) without electricity.

I also have 2 Master's degrees - in Economics and in International Development.

Over the years, I have learned and gotten belts in at least 4 different kinds of martial arts and I believe the mind-body connection is important for health & well-being.

Interests and hobbies

I love to keep busy, rain or shine. In nice weather, I enjoy gardening (planting both flowers and veggies), going on hikes, and spending time outdoors with Joe and with friends. When it's too cold or rainy out, I enjoy working out at the gym. I'm a published author of short stories and a bit of poetry and I'm a voracious reader -- especially of scifi, literary fiction, and poetry. Some of my favorite authors include Haruki Murakami, Jhumpa Lahiri, Robert E. Howard, and T. S. Eliot. In addition to my day job as a data analyst (I love statistics and mathematical modeling), I volunteer as an editor for a small fiction magazine. I also enjoy studying languages; in addition to English, I speak 2 other languages natively or with high proficiency.

I believe community is important, so I make sure to spend time with friends and neighbors -- whether over board games or by cooking for friends and family. I am particularly partial to saucy and spicy dishes. I also volunteer in my community, most recently volunteering to help with elections in the city in which Joe and I live.

What friends say

“
Many people in my life would describe me as responsible, tenacious, and curious. People in my life know they can rely on me to keep my word no matter what. At the same time, whether professionally or personally, friends and coworkers also know I am deeply curious - about the world, about the people around me. I am always trying something or learning about something. Those who are close to me see a more playful side, too - making jokes and talking in hyperboles. I guess those are some of the things that make me a good story-teller.
”

(He/Him)

30 years old

Communicates in

English

Occupation

Data Analyst

Religion

Non-religious

Sexual orientation

Gay

Fun facts about me

Though I'm not religious, I'm incredibly spiritual: I've developed and maintained a core values system for myself that serves as the backbone of my life! Every morning, I meditate on my core values (Intention, Competence, and Wholesomeness) and mission statement and every evening, I journal about my day and how I lived (or didn't live) my values. My evening journal also serves as a valuable space to consider what I am grateful for each day. I strive to be the best version of me I can be, so I also review and reflect on my values and goals on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.

Interests and hobbies

It would be an understatement to call me a nerd. I'm interested in anything scientific, especially when it comes to astronomy, AI, futuristic technology, or climate technology. My highest passion is protecting Earth's climate and thus am always actively volunteering in a climate initiative.

I enjoys spending my free time learning languages, working on personal coding projects, reading (science fiction and fantasy), and generally learning. My guilty pleasures include playing video games and losing himself in music at concerts.

My core values of Intention, Competence, and Wholesomeness ground me in a need for a healthy, plant-based diet, a regular exercise routine (weight training and biking), and building strong relationships with family, friends, and neighbors. I am constantly trying to grow as a person, to be better for the world and those around me.

What friends say

“
My friends would likely describe me as a mix of wholesome, intense (in a good way!), and nerdy. I’m 'wholesome' in my appreciation for the simple things—like a perfect scoop of hazelnut gelato or a walk in the woods—but I’m also 'intense' when it comes to things I care about. I take my projects seriously (if project management were an Olympic sport, I’d have the gold medal!). Above all, I value honesty and gratitude; I try to find the good in everyone and live by the idea that meaning isn't something you find, but something you create.
”

Their story

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