MIDDLEBORO — The gift of family was the only thing on Richard Pezzillo and Michael DeGrandpre’s wish list this holiday season, and one Randolph teacher from Middleboro made their dreams come true through surrogacy.
It’s been five months since the couple brought their baby, Charlie DeGrandpre Pezzillo, to their Warwick, Rhode Island home, and it’s been the most life-changing experience and a great accomplishment for the same-sex couple.
“Rachel gave us the biggest gift of the holiday season. It takes a special person to do something like this for someone else, especially a stranger,” Richard said.
The dads are thrilled to start this new chapter in their lives, and to the haters, they only have one thing to say.
It’s 2024, and “families look different.” Some children “have a mom and a dad, some have two dads, some have two moms,” Richard said.
A love story
Walking in love and acceptance is how they carry on, and they will teach Charlie that “love always wins.”
Their journey of love started when the couple took the leap of faith after meeting each other at a Christmas party in 2009. Richard felt it was an amazing friendship that blossomed into something more and they married in 2015.