Same Love Surrogacy

AT-A-GLANCE 20-year Investment Professional, Golfer, Tennis Player, Partner and Father of Twin boys Via Surrogacy ABOUT Brad Spencer was born, raised and has resided in Los Angeles, California, for over 40 years. He has worked as a successful investment professional for nearly 20 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Finance from California State University Northridge (CSUN). Brad’s hobbies include tennis, golf, travel, and spending time with his family. It was tennis that brought Brad and his husband together. The two met at a tennis tournament in Texas while both were touring on the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance (GLTA) World Tour. During a doubles match, Brad hit his future husband with an overhead shot, his husband returned the favor later in the match, both shared competitive glares, and the rest is history. Both Brad and his husband come from large and supportive Italian and Mexican families, and both have always dreamed of having children of their own. The two shared the amazing experience of having twin boys through surrogacy, with the good fortune to have a family member as their egg donor. The couple continues to have a close relationship with their surrogate and her family to this day. In addition to his professional and family responsibilities, Brad is an active supporter and volunteer for The Trevor Project, a national non-profit organization dedicated to preventing suicide among LGBTQ youth. Brad is also a board member of the Men Having Babies (MHB) advisory board, which provides advice and assistance to the LGBTQ community around the world.

AT-A-GLANCE Partners for over 20 Years, LGBT Advocates, Family Men, Fathers of Twin Boys Via Surrogacy ABOUT Jay Cook and Danny Wong are married and have been together for over 20 years. Jay is originally from Grand Haven, Michigan, but has lived in Los Angeles, California, for nearly two decades. Danny was born in Hong Kong but moved with his family to Los Angeles at the age of 3. Both are from large, close-knit families, a background that instilled in them a desire to have a family of their own. Both men talked about having kids for 15 years. They researched adoption, but as a gay couple encountered regulatory barriers. Finally they decided to save their money and try becoming parents via surrogacy. Danny and Jay’s story of becoming parents via surrogacy is a cautionary tale with lessons for why intended parents should use an experienced and qualified agency. Danny and Jay attempted to go it alone, and ended up losing lots of money and time. The couple also experienced issues with doctors and surrogates. Fortunately, through perseverance and dedication they have a happy ending: Healthy twin boys, born on July 1, 2014. Jay holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Fitness Management and an Associate degree in nursing. He managed health clubs for 10 years before becoming a nurse. He currently serves as an Emergency Room Registered Nurse and teaches nursing. He enjoys camping, downhill skiing, boating, hiking and exercising. Danny attended University of California Davis and Cal Poly Pomona, with a focus in Business Information Technology. He has worked in the Information Technology field for over 10 years. His hobbies are photography, skiing, hiking and camping. Both Danny and Jay are members of GAPSN (Gay Asian and Pacific Support Network), which offers advice and support to gay Asian people and their friends during the coming-out process. They were inspired by their own lengthy and disheartening difficulties in becoming parents to join Brad and Mary in creating a full-service surrogacy agency committed to making the journey easier and better for others.

AT-A-GLANCE Partners for over 20 Years, LGBT Advocates, Family Men, Fathers of Twin Boys Via Surrogacy ABOUT Jay Cook and Danny Wong are married and have been together for over 20 years. Jay is originally from Grand Haven, Michigan, but has lived in Los Angeles, California, for nearly two decades. Danny was born in Hong Kong but moved with his family to Los Angeles at the age of 3. Both are from large, close-knit families, a background that instilled in them a desire to have a family of their own. Both men talked about having kids for 15 years. They researched adoption, but as a gay couple encountered regulatory barriers. Finally they decided to save their money and try becoming parents via surrogacy. Danny and Jay’s story of becoming parents via surrogacy is a cautionary tale with lessons for why intended parents should use an experienced and qualified agency. Danny and Jay attempted to go it alone, and ended up losing lots of money and time. The couple also experienced issues with doctors and surrogates. Fortunately, through perseverance and dedication they have a happy ending: Healthy twin boys, born on July 1, 2014. Jay holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Fitness Management and an Associate degree in nursing. He managed health clubs for 10 years before becoming a nurse. He currently serves as an Emergency Room Registered Nurse and teaches nursing. He enjoys camping, downhill skiing, boating, hiking and exercising. Danny attended University of California Davis and Cal Poly Pomona, with a focus in Business Information Technology. He has worked in the Information Technology field for over 10 years. His hobbies are photography, skiing, hiking and camping. Both Danny and Jay are members of GAPSN (Gay Asian and Pacific Support Network), which offers advice and support to gay Asian people and their friends during the coming-out process. They were inspired by their own lengthy and disheartening difficulties in becoming parents to join Brad and Mary in creating a full-service surrogacy agency committed to making the journey easier and better for others.

AT-A-GLANCE 12 year medical professional, 4 time surrogate and loving mother of three children ABOUT Ashley Myers was raised in Southern California and now resides in Riverside County with her three children. She has worked in the medical field for 12 years, specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology for 10 years. Ashley has had experience with several different cases of infertility and she has been a successful surrogate herself four times, both for international couples and same sex couples in the United States. It was Ashley’s heart and desire for building families through surrogacy that brought her to Same Love Surrogacy in early 2015 as a surrogate coordinator. Now as the senior surrogate coordinator, Ashley is responsible for managing all of the surrogates in our program as well as coordinating our surrogate support events throughout the year. Some of Ashley’s hobbies include interior decorating, dabbling in different cooking styles and techniques, supporting her children in all their sports activities, fishing, hiking and of course throwing our surrogate support events. Ashley is an active supporter in the LGBTQ community and strongly believes anyone who has love to give a child should have the family of their dreams.

AT-A-GLANCE 15 year medical professional, IVF nurse and mother of two children ABOUT Monica Lopez was born and raised in Southern California and now resides in Torrance, California. Monica graduated from the University of California Irvine with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Bachelor of Arts in Social Science and then pursued her nursing career after working in the fertility field for a few years. Prior to joining Same Love Surrogacy, she was head nurse at California Fertility Partners, one of the word’s leading IVF clinics. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the fertility industry, as well as expertise in the realm of Egg Donation and Surrogacy. Monica’s hands on experience with thousands of egg donor and surrogate cycles, combined with being a mother of two children, positions her to provide amazing service to all our egg donors and surrogates. It was Monica’s passion for building LGBTQ families through surrogacy and her support and active participation at MHB conferences that brought her to Same Love Surrogacy in October 2018. Monica is fully fluent in Spanish and handles our Spanish speaking cases. Some of Monica’s hobbies include traveling, spending time with her family, collecting vintage glass, crafting and decorating for the holidays.

AT-A-GLANCE 19-year medical professional, 10-time egg donor, and mother of four children ABOUT Samantha Peckerar was raised in Virginia and moved to California at the age of 20 and now resides in Riverside County. She moved cross country with her finance and has been successfully married for 17 years. She has worked in the medical field for 19 years, specializing in infertility for 17 years. Samantha has experience with different aspects of infertility and has been an egg donor herself ten times. Samantha had the opportunity to meet two of her intended parents and is still in contact with one of them today. It is Samantha’s passion to have egg donors enjoy the process as much as she did. It was Samantha’s desire for building families through egg donation and surrogacy, that devotion brought her to Same Love Surrogacy in 2021 as the Director of the Egg Donor Program. Samantha is responsible for managing egg donor services and supporting our egg donors. Some of Samantha’s hobbies include fitness, multiple outdoor activities, and traveling with her family. While she is at home, she enjoys pizza nights accompanied with puzzles and board games with her family, when she is not attending one of her four kids sporting events.

AT-A-GLANCE Family Medicine physician with more than 18 years of experience in women’s health, and mother of 2 amazing children through IVF ABOUT Lisa Fuh was born in Taiwan and moved to New Jersey when she was 9 years old. She completed her undergraduate degree at Rutgers the State University of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a minor in Spanish. She went on to pursue her medical degree at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). Lisa completed her training in family medicine at a hospital affiliate of UMDNJ with a focus on diseases and specific challenges that affect women’s health. Lisa’s own experience with IVF instilled in her a desire to help others in their journey to parenthood. This experience, coupled with her unique understanding and perspective of women’s health, led Lisa to Same Love surrogacy as a surrogacy coordinator. As a physician and a mother, Lisa is passionate about guiding women through the surrogacy process in a safe and caring manner. Any free time is dedicated to her family, planning trips to various parts of the world (especially Disney World). She enjoys practicing yoga, running local races and playing the violin. She is fluent in Mandarin and English. Lisa met her husband during her residency training and just like Elliot and J.D. from Scrubs, they quickly developed a lasting friendship.

AT-A-GLANCE 7-year medical professional, 3-time surrogate and mother of three children ABOUT Faith Tidwell was born and raised in Colorado and still resides there with her husband and 3 children. She has worked in the medical field as a Surgical Technologist specializing in Obstetrical and Gynecological surgery with additional experience in the Labor and Delivery and Postpartum hospital units and laboratory for 7 years. She has been a surrogate herself three times, for both domestic and international intended parents as well as both straight and same sex intended parents. Her passion and desire for helping grow families led her to join Same Love Surrogacy as a Surrogate Coordinator in 2021. Some of Faith’s interests and hobbies include: spending time with her family, supporting her children in their extracurricular and athletic endeavors, camping and fishing in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, reading, cooking, and striving to be the best cat mom she can be to her hairless Sphynx cat, Gizmo.

ASHLEY CHASTEEN SURROGATE COORDINATOR AT-A-GLANCE Navy Veteran, 8-year medical professional, experienced gestational carrier and mother to five children ABOUT Ashley Chasteen was born in Great Lakes, Illinois and now resides in Fort Worth, Texas. Ashley grew up in a military family, traveling every few years from Illinois to South Carolina, Florida and finally to Texas where she calls home. Ashley joined the United States Navy in 2008. After experiencing some of the toughest yet most rewarding challenges you face during an enlistment, Ashley returned home to where her heart is, Texas. Growing up Ashley always wanted to work in the medical field, after exploring emergency medicine and internal medicine she found her passion in fertility. Prior to joining Same Love Surrogacy, she was the Third-Party coordinator/ clinical manager at Fort Worth Fertility. Ashley was a surrogate herself and delivered twins for a same-sex couple here in the United States. It was her empathy and compassion for building families through surrogacy that brought her to Same love Surrogacy in 2021. Ashley enjoys spending time with her family. Being a personal chauffeur for five children can be demanding but if you find her at home on a weekend, she will most likely be binge watching the newest episodes on Netflix.

AT-A-GLANCE 22-year medical professional, 4-time Surrogate, and mother of three children ABOUT Jenn Hoffman was born and raised in Germany and traveled all over the United States as an Army Brat! In 2003, Jenn made the move to California to support her husband’s naval career. Jenn, her husband Mike and their three children settled into life in Murrieta, CA in 2011, where Jenn began working for the San Diego Fertility Center. Jenn devoted her time to her children, shuttling them to and from lacrosse, soccer and gymnastics while having the ability to serve her San Diego and Riverside County patients and still support her husband’s career. Jenn has worked in the medical field for 22 years, specializing in infertility for 15 years. Jenn has experience with different aspects of infertility and has been a surrogate herself 4 times bringing 5 surrogate babies into the world of loving parents. Jenn has been blessed to maintain an open line of communication with one of her intended families; further strengthening the bond and relationship she shares with the intended families. Jenn and her husband Mike have been married for more than 20 years and have been side by side since 2000. Jenn’s husband, Mike, recently retired from the US Navy as a Chief, and they are creating their forever home in Oklahoma. Jenn has three wonderful children, Zander who is 21 and a proud member of the US Army, Jillian who is 20 and an incredible champion gymnast at the University of Utah and her youngest son Zayne, who is 19 and working full-time for a local roofing company as he builds in an apprenticeship to further the next chapter of life. Some of Jenn’s hobbies include woodworking, spending time with her 4 Great Danes, traveling with her family, and catching up on her favorite shows. While Jenn is at home and has down time, she enjoys building new custom projects, noshing on delicious German food, and walking her dogs with her husband Mike at her side.

AT-A-GLANCE Experienced paralegal, 2 time surrogate and loving mother of two children ABOUT Vanessa Torres was born and raised in Queens, NY and moved to Southern California when she was 19 years old and now resides in Murrieta with her two children. She has worked in the family creation industry for close to 10 years, specializing in family law and surrogacy. Vanessa has been a successful surrogate herself two times, both for international couples and same sex couples in the United States. Vanessa has always had the heart and desire for building families through surrogacy which is what brought her to Same Love Surrogacy in 2017 as an egg donor coordinator. Now as the leader of our egg donor services, Vanessa is responsible for managing all of the egg donor services in our program as well as coordinating and supporting our egg donors during their cycles. Some of Vanessa’s hobbies include playing soccer, going to the beach with her children, and doing yoga. Vanessa is fluent in English and Spanish.

AT-A-GLANCE Former Lead IVF/Third Party Coordinator, an explosion of energy and passion, and a huge intending parent advocate especially for LGBTQ family building. ABOUT Miu Yamashita has a unique upbringing. Born in Tahiti and raised in Tokyo until age 10, her family moved to Manhattan Beach, CA where she actually considers home. She then moved to La Jolla, CA to attend UC San Diego for BS in Human Biology, then moved to Hawaii after graduation to work in wedding planning before finally finding her calling in fertility & surrogacy. All of these life events nurtured a bilingual, compassionate, resilient, hard working, adapting, efficient, and energetic professional that is Miu. When she puts her mind to something, she soars. Just ask about her accomplishments in piano, violin, tennis, and volleyball just to name a few. Miu now brings her 6 years of experience in the fertility clinics to SLS to further expand many more miracle babies around the world! Some of Miu’s hobbies include crafting and scrap-booking (Side note: She keeps a scrapbook of babies born under her care. Ask her about it if you ever have a Skype meeting with her!), getting her nails done, cooking without a recipe, and everything Disneyland. She is fluent in English and Japanese.

AT-A-GLANCE Passionate about surrogacy, Four-time surrogate for gay fathers around the world, Married and proud mother of two beautiful daughters. ABOUT Mary was born in Chicago, IL but she is a citizen of the world. She has lived in Hawaii and Dublin Ireland, where her family still resides. She and her family have lived in Sothern California for the past 13 years. Mary had extensive career experience in customer relations management, in-home health care services, and marketing. It was Mary’s passion for building families that made joining SLS in 2019. Mary loves spending time with her family and friends, cooking, traveling, watching movies, hiking with her two dogs, reading, and volunteering with Free Mom Hugs – an LGBTQ support group.

AT-A-GLANCE LGBTQ+ activist, Real Estate Agent, enthusiastic traveler, loves making people laugh, husband and father through surrogacy to the most adorable baby boy. ABOUT Heath Tucker was born in Owensboro, Kentucky home to Bluegrass, BBQ and bourbon. In his youth, he was heavily involved in theatre and his passion drove him to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Performance & Directing from The University of Evansville in Indiana. After graduating, he moved to New York City where he lived for the last 12 years and met the man of his dreams…more on him later. Upon Heath’s arrival to NYC, he was heavily involved in activism and the fight for marriage equality in the United States. He co-founded the group Civil Rights Front and helped organize the largest LGBTQ protests and marches since the AIDS crisis. Heath also pursued a new passion in Real Estate where he did over $100 million in transactions in his first 2 years and formed one of the top teams, The Tucker Team. But the biggest reward from living in New York was not the closet sized apartment he first lived in, but meeting his husband Carlos at a dinner party. They’ve been together for over eleven years, married for five years, and they knew from early on in their relationship that they wanted to become dads. With the help and guidance from Same Love Surrogacy, they welcomed their baby boy Jackson into the world in 2020. Ask him about how they landed at the airport and had to drive straight to the hospital just in time for the birth! They are forever grateful to the many people it took to bring Jackson into the world and remain very close with their surrogate and egg donor. It was this incredible journey to fatherhood that motivated him to go back to his roots as an activist and join the SLS family to continue to spread the word about surrogacy and help other couples achieve the family they’ve always dreamed of. Heath recognizes the roadblocks that are put before LGBTQ+ families around the world and any family with fertility challenges. He hopes to be the bridge for those intended parents to a life full of happy snuggles, dirty diapers and endless memories. Heath’s hobbies include traveling the world, enjoying theatre, fighting for what he believes in, making up terrible songs and raps, learning a little bit about everything and everywhere, binge watching tv, and making his son and husband laugh so hard they run out of breath!

AT-A-GLANCE Passionate about family forming, San Diego native, husband, and father of two children via egg donation & surrogacy ABOUT Kevin Putrus was born and raised in San Diego, California, where he met his now-husband in early 2013. Both had expressed a desire to start a family, and being members of the LGBTQ+ community, they knew they would need to explore various alternatives to make that happen. After years of planning, in 2017, they began their journey toward parenthood and welcomed their first child in 2018 and second in 2021 with the help of an egg donor and two lovely surrogates. Together they have spent time living in Sydney, Australia, and Phoenix, Arizona – currently living in San Diego, raising their children. Before joining Same Love Surrogacy, Kevin spent three years as a stay-at-home parent, six years as a project manager in the construction industry, and five years in the insurance industry. After completing two surrogacy journeys, he joins SLS with first-hand experience and a passion for playing an integral part in supporting others on their path to becoming parents. Some of Kevin’s interests include traveling, spending quality time with his family, exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, visiting the San Diego Zoo, and enjoying time at the beach.

AT-A-GLANCE A fashion design professional, avid world traveler and future father via surrogacy ABOUT Larry Wang was born and raised it Taipei, Taiwan before traveling to California for his University studies. Larry has a Bachelor degree in fine arts with an emphasis in fashion design from the Otis College located in Los Angeles, California. Larry worked as an assistant designer for a major US based clothing company for 3 years before returning home to Taiwan. His passion for family and support of LGBTQ families has led him to Same Love Surrogacy as our Intended Parent Coordinator assisting our cases in the Asia market. Larry is now based in Taiwan and China and helps to oversee our Asian intending parents due to his fluent communication skills in both Chinese and English. Larry plans to become a father via surrogacy and he possesses a strong passion in the creation of families via egg donation and surrogacy.

AT-A-GLANCE French Born with education in the US, World Traveler, and Future Father through Surrogacy ABOUT Brice was born and raised in Lyon, France. After high school in France, he moved to California to attend college in Los Angeles. Brice has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance, and an MBA in Marketing Strategy from Loyola Marymount University. Brice worked a few years in financial external audit and in management consulting in Los Angeles and San Francisco, before moving back to Paris, France where he currently resides. His commitment to surrogacy and gay family building in Europe and especially in France led him to Same Love Surrogacy in 2019 as our Intended Parent Coordinator in Paris. Brice assists our cases in France and being bilingual in French and English, he is able to help oversee our French intending parents. Some of Brice’s interests include traveling with his partner, playing with their lovable dog and spending time with his family.

AT-A-GLANCE Technology Savvy, Fashion Production Professional, Future Father through Surrogacy ABOUT Wilson Liang was born and raised in Guangzhou, China. He moved to Arcadia, CA with his family when he was 15 years old, and now resides in Los Angeles, CA. Wilson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics at University of California, Santa Barbara, and worked as a Production Coordinator at a major global apparel retailer. Growing up in a large extended family with 15 cousins, Wilson is immersed in the culture of family building and children development, which led him to join Same Love Surrogacy in 2019. Wilson’s main responsibility is to support and assist the three Founders & Owners of Same Love to ensure a flawless experience for all Intending Parents. Wilson plans to become a father and create his own family through egg donation and surrogacy. Some of Wilson’s interests include travelling, fashion, photography, cooking and exploring different restaurants. He is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English.