I GAVE MY BROTHER A BABY

It’s a story that will shock some, but Tracey Hulse, 42, knew what she needed to do…

- BESS BROWNING

Holding my nephew, Theo, in my arms, I smiled at my brother Anthony. ‘He’s beautiful,’ I said, kissing Theo’s head, before handing him back to Anthony. Just a few hours old, Theo really was gorgeous, and as I watched Anthony and his partner Ray gaze at Theo in awe and fuss over him, there was no doubt in my mind that giving my brother a baby was the best decision I’d ever made.

Anthony and I had been indifferent to each other as kids. I was four years older so I just saw him as my annoying little brother. But it was when I started a family with my partner, Wayne, that I saw a different side to Anthony – he loved being an uncle to our ve sons and daughter.

Anthony’s relationship with my kids strengthened our own bond. So much so that he even walked me down the aisle when I married Wayne, then 8, in August 2003.

A few years later, Anthony met Ray and it meant so much to me to see him happy. Together, they often looked after my kids, converting a bedroom for them and Anthony, Ray and I even started working together. Their love for each other was clear and their yearning to start a family of their own deepened over the years. In 2017, they joined a surrogacy group, attending events with prospective surrogate mothers. But they never clicked with anyone and came away disappointed.

Then one night, in early 2017, I read a story about a surrogate mother. I thought it was such a selfless thing to do, and it got me thinking. That night, after the kids had gone to bed, I sat Wayne down.