A gay couple spent $107,000 to have twins in Cyprus via surrogate but at the moment are stuck within the country.
Damian, 33, and Pasan Fernando, 36, had all the time dreamed of beginning a family and started their journey six years ago.
The couple struggled to seek out a surrogate within the UK and decided to look into their options abroad as an alternative.
Through a advice they found World Center of Baby, Cyprus.
Pasan’s sperm was used to fertilize a donor’s eggs – which they selected to best fit Damian’s features – before the couple were paired with a surrogate.
They came upon their surrogate was pregnant with twins in April 2024 and flew out to Cyrus on latest 12 months’s eve ready for the birth.
River and Liko were born on January 3, 2025 however the parents have been unable to get them home to St Albans, Hertfordshire for the past eight weeks.
They applied for his or her passports on January 13, 2025 – once they had all of the documents required – but say their application remains to be waiting to be reviewed after several documents were mislaid.
Damian, a head of maths, said: “This passport issue is incredibly frustrating.
“It’s silly human errors.
“It’s so avoidable.
“The youngsters aren’t capable of meet their grandparents.”
Damian and Pasan, an assistant head, met in 2014 and tied the knot in 2017.
The each wanted to begin a family and began looking into surrogacy within the UK six years ago.
Within the UK, under surrogacy law, the surrogate should be the one to initiate contact with the intended parents.
Damian said: “We joined just a few organisations and Facebook groups.
“We did a number of socials.”
Pasan added: “We had a web based journal so a surrogate can see what we’re like.”
But after years of trying to seek out a match the couple didn’t get a surrogate offer.
In that point they were able to avoid wasting up so in September 2023 they were able to contemplate going abroad for surrogacy.
The couple had a advice for the World Center of Baby, based in Cyprus and had a call with the agency in October 2023.
They flew out in December to deposit samples and decided they’d use Pasan’s sperm and an egg donor who resembled Damian.
Pasan said: “It was essential because it was my DNA that we desired to look as near Damian’s features as possible.”
They selected an egg donor in January 2024 and had their eggs fertilised that very same month.
After being left with three healthy embryos they were then capable of select a surrogate linked via the clinic in March 2023.
They came upon they were pregnant with twins in April 2023.
Pasan said: “It was quite surreal.”
The couple decided to not have contact with their surrogate until the birth as they didn’t intend to make it “uncomfortable” for her.
Pasan said: “The clinic – every three weeks they’d send us a scan.”
Their surrogate was set for a scheduled C-section on January 3, 2025 and the couple flew out on latest 12 months’s eve.
They were within the room round the corner once they babies were born and two hours later they got to satisfy Liko for the primary time.
Damian said: “It was a magical moment.
“They desired to keep River somewhat longer simply to be certain he was respiratory OK.
“Liko looks like Pasan.
“River looks rather a lot like me.”
Pasan added: “They simply said ‘here’s your baby’.
“We thought ‘how can we hold a baby?’ ‘How can we feed a baby?’
“We’re learning in a short time.”
The couple desired to get back to the UK as quickly as possible. Pasan has been given a 12 months of leave and Damian was kindly given the primary half term of this school 12 months off.
That they had previously instructed a lawyer and gathered all of the documents they would want to use for the twins passports.
After getting their birth certificates they were capable of send off an application on January 13, 2025 and heard back on January 21 that they’d been received.
But on January, 31 the passport office requested latest applications as a result of a confusion over where the passports were to be sent.
They resubmitted applications that very same day and called to substantiate that the supporting documents already sent over could be linked to the brand new applications.
However the couple have now had a series of miscommunication and documents being misplaced holding up their application – and leaving them stranded in Cyprus.
Damian said: “Each day it’s something.
“We call them up each day.”
They’ve recieved several emails claiming certain documents were missing – but they’d been misplaced within the old application or the opposite twin’s application.
The couple have had to maneuver to 3 different Airbnb’s since being on the market.
That is racking up extra cost after already forking out $88,000 to the agency and $19,000 on lawyers and travel.
Damian said: “We had been warned to be prepared for incompetence.
“We’re just hoping something can change.
“We don’t want this to occur to future parents.”
The couple are still waiting for his or her applications to be reviewed and have been advised that there’s “no timeline for this complicated process”.
They don’t know when they may have the option to receive the passports for the twins to return home – which can mean Damian may have to take unpaid leave.
He said: “There is a big financial element.”
Despite the frustration the couple are attempting to not it impact their baby bubble.
They hope their story may also be one among hope for others wanting to grow to be parents.
Pasan said: “Be vigilant, there are a number of scams.
“But don’t surrender hope.
“We’re proof it’s possible.”
The Home Office have been contacted for comment.
A gay couple spent $107,000 to have twins in Cyprus via surrogate but at the moment are stuck within the country.
Damian, 33, and Pasan Fernando, 36, had all the time dreamed of beginning a family and started their journey six years ago.
The couple struggled to seek out a surrogate within the UK and decided to look into their options abroad as an alternative.
Through a advice they found World Center of Baby, Cyprus.
Pasan’s sperm was used to fertilize a donor’s eggs – which they selected to best fit Damian’s features – before the couple were paired with a surrogate.
They came upon their surrogate was pregnant with twins in April 2024 and flew out to Cyrus on latest 12 months’s eve ready for the birth.
River and Liko were born on January 3, 2025 however the parents have been unable to get them home to St Albans, Hertfordshire for the past eight weeks.
They applied for his or her passports on January 13, 2025 – once they had all of the documents required – but say their application remains to be waiting to be reviewed after several documents were mislaid.
Damian, a head of maths, said: “This passport issue is incredibly frustrating.
“It’s silly human errors.
“It’s so avoidable.
“The youngsters aren’t capable of meet their grandparents.”
Damian and Pasan, an assistant head, met in 2014 and tied the knot in 2017.
The each wanted to begin a family and began looking into surrogacy within the UK six years ago.
Within the UK, under surrogacy law, the surrogate should be the one to initiate contact with the intended parents.
Damian said: “We joined just a few organisations and Facebook groups.
“We did a number of socials.”
Pasan added: “We had a web based journal so a surrogate can see what we’re like.”
But after years of trying to seek out a match the couple didn’t get a surrogate offer.
In that point they were able to avoid wasting up so in September 2023 they were able to contemplate going abroad for surrogacy.
The couple had a advice for the World Center of Baby, based in Cyprus and had a call with the agency in October 2023.
They flew out in December to deposit samples and decided they’d use Pasan’s sperm and an egg donor who resembled Damian.
Pasan said: “It was essential because it was my DNA that we desired to look as near Damian’s features as possible.”
They selected an egg donor in January 2024 and had their eggs fertilised that very same month.
After being left with three healthy embryos they were then capable of select a surrogate linked via the clinic in March 2023.
They came upon they were pregnant with twins in April 2023.
Pasan said: “It was quite surreal.”
The couple decided to not have contact with their surrogate until the birth as they didn’t intend to make it “uncomfortable” for her.
Pasan said: “The clinic – every three weeks they’d send us a scan.”
Their surrogate was set for a scheduled C-section on January 3, 2025 and the couple flew out on latest 12 months’s eve.
They were within the room round the corner once they babies were born and two hours later they got to satisfy Liko for the primary time.
Damian said: “It was a magical moment.
“They desired to keep River somewhat longer simply to be certain he was respiratory OK.
“Liko looks like Pasan.
“River looks rather a lot like me.”
Pasan added: “They simply said ‘here’s your baby’.
“We thought ‘how can we hold a baby?’ ‘How can we feed a baby?’
“We’re learning in a short time.”
The couple desired to get back to the UK as quickly as possible. Pasan has been given a 12 months of leave and Damian was kindly given the primary half term of this school 12 months off.
That they had previously instructed a lawyer and gathered all of the documents they would want to use for the twins passports.
After getting their birth certificates they were capable of send off an application on January 13, 2025 and heard back on January 21 that they’d been received.
But on January, 31 the passport office requested latest applications as a result of a confusion over where the passports were to be sent.
They resubmitted applications that very same day and called to substantiate that the supporting documents already sent over could be linked to the brand new applications.
However the couple have now had a series of miscommunication and documents being misplaced holding up their application – and leaving them stranded in Cyprus.
Damian said: “Each day it’s something.
“We call them up each day.”
They’ve recieved several emails claiming certain documents were missing – but they’d been misplaced within the old application or the opposite twin’s application.
The couple have had to maneuver to 3 different Airbnb’s since being on the market.
That is racking up extra cost after already forking out $88,000 to the agency and $19,000 on lawyers and travel.
Damian said: “We had been warned to be prepared for incompetence.
“We’re just hoping something can change.
“We don’t want this to occur to future parents.”
The couple are still waiting for his or her applications to be reviewed and have been advised that there’s “no timeline for this complicated process”.
They don’t know when they may have the option to receive the passports for the twins to return home – which can mean Damian may have to take unpaid leave.
He said: “There is a big financial element.”
Despite the frustration the couple are attempting to not it impact their baby bubble.
They hope their story may also be one among hope for others wanting to grow to be parents.
Pasan said: “Be vigilant, there are a number of scams.
“But don’t surrender hope.
“We’re proof it’s possible.”
The Home Office have been contacted for comment.
