Surrogacy rights granted

Last year, Melbourne local Shaun Resnik became the first single man in Victoria to be granted the right to become a father through local surrogacy. Late last month, his baby Eli was born.

The Victorian government approved 44-year-old Resnik’s surrogacy application last year after he had to prove to a Victorian government panel that he would make a suitable father.

“When I was granted the permission to proceed with my surrogacy journey it was like winning Tatts lotto,” Resnik said.

He said the journey to both find a surrogate and get approved to go through with it was like being on a “rollercoaster full of ups and downs”.

“For every movement forward, there was often two steps backwards,” he said.

Resnik had three potential surrogates withdraw before he found his surrogate, Carla Pincombe.

“Every journey that ended with any of the other three potential surrogates felt like my stomach was being ripped out, because I knew I’d have to start from scratch again, and to create these relationships, to get to the point where someone offers to carry a child for you,” he said.

“I always knew I wanted to be a dad from a very young age, because I’ve got a very close relationship with my family, and in essence I always wanted to create a family of my own.”

When Resnik reached his forties he was worried his time was running out.

“Women have a biological clock, but men have a clock too,” he said, and despite not meeting the right person, he knew he wanted to start a family regardless.

“My hope is that other people will just go for it, in order to reach their dreams of becoming parents, and not keep waiting and waiting and putting it off. If you want something badly enough, you’ve got to make your dreams happen. You’ve got to advocate for yourself,” he said.

After his surrogacy was approved, Resnik reconnected with an old flame.

“At the beginning of this year, we went away on a holiday together and what can I say, romance was in the air and we are now together, his name is Sean and we collectively call ourselves Shaun squared,” he said.

Resnik also has a close relationship with both his surrogate, and his egg donor, Bree.

“We’re all good friends. Baby Eli now has two fathers and two mothers. So he’s got a biological mother, and he’s got a birth mother and he’s also got two fathers.

“He’s a very lucky boy indeed.”