The article is found here: https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2018/12/15/une-petite-fille-en-cadeau?fbclid=IwAR3bUMX-V5HGnx5cVpRB8UXtC7JjvIVMy1gok_J9upE4rvMKLHIaERMEgGA
Une petite fille en cadeau
A little girl as a gift
Like every year, the whole family was waiting for us in Montreal for the holidays, but we foiled their plans and stayed in Florida since my wife, Stéphanie, and I, are the new parents of a beautiful little girl of 8 pounds, River, who was born to a surrogate mother, Tuesday in Orlando at 5:36 in the biggest secrecy.
Nobody was aware of our project, not even my sister-in-law, Véronique Cloutier, who heard the news after the birth and announced it Thursday, on her radio show, Véronique and Les Fantastiques, at Rouge FM . When told that we would not be there for our annual gift exchange, we turned the camera to River and told her that the family had grown.
She could not believe it. Keeping this secret for months was very difficult, but we did not want to worry anyone. We announced the news in a different way to each person in the family, and it was a great joy each time.
The baby is in perfect health, and we are starting a new stage of our life. I am on a cloud. Now that I'm retired from hockey, I will be able to be a more present father and even change diapers.
Why a surrogate?
Stéphanie and I have always wanted to be a family of four. Unfortunately, we lost our second child, our little boy, Chace, in August 2009. He was only two months old, and it was very difficult for us. No parent should have to live this.
We had our little girl, Romi, and we thought we would love her and we would do everything for her. We were going to be a family of three.
When we arrived in Florida in 2011, we discussed the possibility of having another child. However, Stéphanie's two pregnancies had been difficult and since she is diabetic, we did not want to compromise her health, and the idea of using a surrogate mother was appealing.
Our daughter, Romi, was only eight years old and as we wanted to make this decision with her agreement, so we waited. We did not want her to feel threatened, but today, at age 12, she is ready.
When we told her about our project, she was delighted. If she had said no, we would not have done it. Today, she is so happy and she will take great care of her little sister. She was so moved at the birth that she cried.
Our genes at 100%
It's important to understand that River's genes are those of Stéphanie and me at 100%. We used an agency that advised us very well. It is quite complex and we had to consult doctors and lawyers, but today we are at home with our daughter and it is wonderful. The surrogate was in her third pregnancy of this kind and she was fantastic.
As for the name of River, it was the middle name of Chace. It's a great way to honor him and keep him in our hearts.
- Interviewed by Gilles Moffet
