Never Thought It Was Possible

The tale of a same-sex couple who managed to find a surrogate, and how they defied the odds to father South Africa’s first triplets born with both their DNA.

- Ancillar Mangena

It’s a unique story of serendipity, of life born out of a famous South African court case. As Theo and Christo Menelaou usher us into their luxurious home in South Africa’s capital city Pretoria, there are smiles galore, and soul-fulfilling warmth.

This is a long way from where it all began, on February 14, 2013; that fateful day etched in South Africa’s sporting history, the day blade-runner Oscar Pistorius killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Unbeknown to the Menelaous, this tragic incident and the ensuing court cases that would somehow involve them, would lead to a happy personal outcome.

“We stayed in the same [residential] estate with Oscar, which is where he shot Reeva, and I was a state witness in the trial,” says Christo.

The Menelaous had long yearned to have children. It was during this time that Christo met a neighbor, also a state witness at the Oscar trial, who suggested they try the surrogacy route.

Two weeks later, Theo received an odd message from a stranger referred to them by the concerned neighbor, who offered to surrogate for them.

Weeks later they met Jackie, the prospective surrogate. Christo says a bond was formed instantly and they embarked on the journey to have a baby.

With a good lawyer and a payment of R25,000 ($1,860), the pair received the green light.