Nathan Chan, 33, welcomed his baby daughter, Nanette, into the world in May 2018 following an eight-year journey, which included six surrogate mothers.
“Being a single male, you don’t think that you’re going to have a child through egg donation surrogacy,” Chan said to Global News.
“For me, I just didn’t meet the right person.”
READ MORE: New Canadian surrogate rules: What’s being proposed?
Chan’s journey to fatherhood has been anything but straightforward. He decided at the age of 25 that he was serious about becoming a single dad. He began exploring his options, which included surrogacy and adoption.
Over the span of eight years, he and his surrogate mothers endured miscarriages and a stillbirth. At one point in his journey, he said he became the first single man to be approved for domestic adoption in Alberta.
Chan estimates he’s spent $250,000 trying to have a baby since 2009.
“It’s been such a long struggle,” Chan said. “I’ve just learned so much about myself and how you should never give up.”
LISTEN: Extended interview with Nathan Chan on the Family Matters podcast
Finally in May, his daughter, Nanette, was born at a Grande Prairie hospital thanks to Chan’s sixth surrogate mother, Crystal Lane.
“I just couldn’t be more proud of her (Nanette) and the women that helped me along the way,” he said.
READ MORE: Why a 27-year-old Canadian woman chose to be single and pregnant
Lane said she hadn’t seriously considered surrogacy until she met Chan at a trade show.
“Hearing his story shows you how hard of a challenge it was to get there and to finally see it happen was just amazing,” Lane said.
Chan created the Calgary-based consultancy company Proud Fertility with a focus on helping other intended parents who don’t fit the traditional mold of parenthood.
“I think there’s too much stigma and too much judgement,” he said. “Whether you’re 25 or late-50s, and you want to have a kid, you should have a chance.”
WATCH BELOW: The federal government is setting new rules to clarify what expenses a surrogate can be paid for. Kim Smith shares one Alberta woman’s experience.
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