Eduardo Afonso, founder and CEO
Hello! My name is Eduardo Afonso and I help prospective parents primarily in Sweden in choosing the destination and programme best suited to their needs. As CEO I am ultimately responsible for our operations in Northern Europe.
I am parent to Zelda and Esther, born in 2014 through surrogacy in Thailand.
I decided to start Nordic Surrogacy because, following my own experience, I realised that I had a great opportunity to help others through this process. Dependable advising on legalities and regulated destinations and guiding prospective parents through the practicalities of the process are both critical aspects.
My path to becoming a parent was fraught with cultural challenges and language barriers. Going through the surrogacy process in a foreign country was not an easy thing. After the birth of Esther and Zelda, I had to stay in Thailand for almost four months. And then there were challenges with the legal issues back in Sweden that continued for several months after returning home.
To continue paving the way for new prospective parents, I actively work to keep the debate surrounding surrogacy and egg donation current through my exchanges with politicians, organisations and the media.
My biggest lesson from my journey is that you have to be open to the challenges you encounter and accept that you can rarely predict them. Be humble about all the parts and people in the process and trust those involved.
My best advice to prospective parents is to be patient, look ahead, and ask questions the moment you are the slightest bit uncertain about something. As they say – there are no dumb questions. In a process this important, all questions are relevant and we are here to answer them.
Jonas Sternulf-Gleditsch, managing advisor
Jonas is a managing advisor at Nordic Surrogacy and is currently undergoing a surrogacy process in Colombia with his husband. Jonas is the first person you meet with us as he guides you through the initial parts of the process, where you will have the opportunity to ask all your questions about the process and map out the particulars most important to you.
– The best thing about my job is when I am able to help someone find a way of fulfilling their dream of having a child. Especially for those who thought it might not be possible. I know how strong the desire for a child can be, I have also been there. I have always wanted to have several children and we are now in the middle of a journey where we will have two children, and it feels amazing.
When my husband and I made the decision to start our surrogacy journey, it was because we felt comfortable and had confidence in the process. I want to pass this confidence on to all future parents I meet with. This is no ordinary job at an ordinary company. I make a difference to someone else every day, which makes it enjoyable and meaningful.
Feel free to contact me for a free consultation so we can review what your own journey might look like!
Fernando Vitorino, Area Manager Southern Europe
Fernando has a Bachelor of Science and a master’s in business administration. He spent 25 years working in the pharmaceutical industry in a multicultural environment: He is bi-cultural born in Portugal and raised in France with English and Spanish proficiency.
Fernando and his husband from Brazil are the happy fathers of two children, born thru surrogacy and egg donation in the USA; They were blessed to welcome Thomas in 2017 and Gabriela in 2019.
Inspired by the success of his own journey to become father, carrying technical skills he will passionately work to advise and assist couples or individuals that would like to follow his footsteps to create a family.
Andrea Bautista, local coordinator Colombia
My name is Andrea Bautista and I am a coordinator for Nordic Surrogacy in Bogotá, Colombia.
Throughout my entire career, I have worked to improve the customer experience, which has allowed me to develop empathy and be solution-minded and engaged with everyone I meet.
Assisting intended parents in one of the happiest and most important periods of their lives fills me with great joy and is the best part of my job.
I will work to make the stay in Bogotá a smooth and unforgettable experience. Together with the rest of the team, we deliver a professional experience based on trust, reassurance and attention to detail at every stage of your process.
Luca Nicoló, coordinator Colombia and USA
My name is Luca Nicolò. Having worked in both schools and kindergartens in Sweden as a teacher and coordinator, I have several years of experience working with people. Working with other people, adults and children alike, has developed a strong sense of empathy and ability to seek understanding. I can relate to the importance of feeling comfortable in a process and the emotions that can come up along the way.
I look forward to guiding prospective parents through the process with trust, confidence and productive cooperation.
I applied for the job as a coordinator at Nordic Surrogacy because I recognize my own values in the team’s concept, i.e. the drive to help individuals and couples facing involuntary childlessness become a family through a safe and secure surrogacy process based in part on personal experience and sincerity with the prospective parents. I understand what such a journey means, and as a coordinator I seek to create a sense of security through trust, confidence and productive cooperation.
Some tips for you as a prospective parent include: maintain an open dialogue with your coordinator, who is there for you; be patient, enjoy every step of this journey; and trust everyone involved in the process.
Lisa Fredriksson, coordinator Colombia
I feel fortunate to be part of the team at Nordic Surrogacy. In 2020, my husband and I had our son through a surrogacy process in Ukraine. Having been through the process myself, I know how important it is to feel comfortable throughout the journey, and I am familiar with the emotions that arise during the process.
I have many years of experience working with people. I have worked in children’s hospitals and in social work as a CBT therapist. These are solid experiences that I bring to my role as your coordinator.
Going through a surrogacy process stirs up a mixture of many thoughts and feelings.
My best advice for those starting their journey is to be humble about every step of the process and have faith that it will work out. Maintain good communication and contact with your coordinator.
Don’t be afraid to ask and remember that there are no dumb questions. I am here to provide support and advice throughout the process.
Anneli Diehl, coordinator for Georgia
My name is Anneli Diehl, and in March of 2019 I had a daughter with the assistance of a surrogate mother in Ukraine. As I was born without a uterus, I unfortunately could not carry her myself, so this was a wonderful opportunity for me and my husband to have genetic children. Nordic Surrogacy took care of our process from start to finish.
I’ve written about our entire process on my blog surrogatresan.wordpress.com. It’s become a popular blog among readers either seeking to find out more about a given process, in the midst of a process or having previously gone through a process, and it has given me a large network of contacts in the surrogacy world.
I’ve gotten to hear many life stories about why people need the help of a surrogate, and am humbled by all the different journeys people take to start a family.