Washington gay couple finds surrogate in North Carolina



SEATTLE, Wash. -- What would you do if you had the chance to provide a child for a couple who aren't able to have one? One North Carolina woman is making it her mission to do just that as a surrogate for same-sex couples hoping to grow their families. The latest couple to receive her gift of life is in Western Washington.

Dana Jergens and Mark Zmuda’s love story dates back a few years on the East Coast. It was a courtship that eventually landed them in Seattle.

"We both got job interviews and we both got really good jobs out here and about a few months later, we found out it was on the referendum for gay marriage, and we decided to get married,” said Zmuda.

Many might remember Zmuda, the educator forced to resign his position at a catholic school after he married his partner, sparking local rallies among his supporters at the time.

The two have moved on from that chapter, and now they`re ready for the next step in their relationship. It involves starting a family.

“I knew for the longest time, I always wanted a kid,” said Jergens. “But being gay, I didn`t know how it was going to happen.”

It`s a question same-sex couples will face in their relationship. An estimated 110,000 kids live with gay parents, less than 1 percent in the U.S. according to national reports.

“We definitely looked into adoption as well, but the more we talked about it, the more we wanted someone of your own blood,” said Jergens.

Dana and Mark decided surrogacy was their best option, but their decisions takes them back to the other side of the country to North Carolina, where we find Alison Wieczorkowski.

Already a mother to four children, Wieczorkowski wanted to give other families what she feels blessed to have.

“When I thought my family was complete, I knew I wanted to do this for other people,” said Wieczorkowski.

She has been a surrogate for other gay couples before. Her first was for Virginia Rabbis.

Dana and Mark will be her third.  While same-sex adoption is legal in Washington, paid surrogacy is not, as it`s still considered a controversial option, and not just for same-sex couples.

However, that doesn`t worry Dana and Mark. They are no strangers to controversy but ready for a new chapter in their story.

“For the two of us, we found love with each other,” said Jergens. “We just want to share that love with a child.”

In July, Mark and Dana found out their surrogate is pregnant. News they received after their first try failed in May.