Messages of praise have been pouring in online for TV star Brian Dowling and Dancing with the Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian after a documentary on their journey to parenthood aired on RTE One on Monday night.
The hour-long special showed Brian’s younger sister Aoife taking on the incredible role of surrogate for the couple, and bringing their baby girl Blake into the world.
It showed all the highs and lows of the nine-month journey, as Aoife dealt with pregnancy-related carpal tunnel and prepared both mentally and physically for the birth.
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From the moment they found out they were pregnant, right through to the delivery at the National Maternity Hospital, viewers got an inside glance at their heart-warming story.
The documentary also played a vital role in highlighting the issue of legal parentage in Ireland. When Blake was born, Aoife was documented as her mother on her birth certificate, as well as her biological father - following a DNA test after her birth.
The couple had to wait weeks for the paperwork to be accepted so that Blake would have her biological father on her birth certificate, and will have another wait of two years before both of her fathers are named on the official document.
Their bravery in sharing this story has touched the hearts of many across the nation, and lots of viewers were taking to social media to hail the documentary this evening.
“Congratulations to Brian and Arthur and Aoife,” one viewer wrote on Twitter. “Such a wonderful story!”.
A second said: “Congratulations to Brian & Arthur and Baby Blake and Aoife what a beautiful gift to be able to give - much love”.
“Absolutely loving #verymodernfamily. Could not be more pleased for Brian and Arthur. Such a beautiful family,” a third added.
Among the many comments online, was another sweet message that read: “I'm so happy for the boys...and Blake is an incredibly lucky girl”.
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