Welcome! Meet:

Phil + Mark

Physician / Global Health

New York

African American / Caucasian

Christian

All About Phil & Mark
Why Adoption?
Gallery
Family and Home
How We Met
Advice to Future Child
Perspectives on Open Adoption
Favorites

All About Phil & Mark

Hello Dear Mom. We are Mark and Phil, and we hope to call ourselves dads one day. We live in the 'Big Apple', surrounded by friends, family, different cultures and a piece of everything the world has to offer. Even though we are grateful and happy, we feel life would mean so much more by having and raising a child. As a gay couple, adoption could give us the opportunity to be dads and pass on the love we've been shown by many in our lives.

Why Adoption?

After 9 years, we are both at a stage in our lives where we have the resources and desire to provide a loving and nurturing home to a child. As two gay guys, adoption sounds attractive and straightforward to us, and the thought of welcoming a child who needs a home into our lives for all time is so exciting and beautiful.

Family & Home

Our ground-floor apartment in Brooklyn is in a culturally rich neighborhood, close to some of the best nurseries and schools in the city. We have parks a few blocks in any direction from our house. We have our own backyard where we love to garden, cookout, and host seasonal and holiday parties. Our neighbors above are very helpful and always a call away. They include two families with young children as well.

Phil’s parents divide their time between Ghana during the winter months and Maryland during the warmer months. His brother, sister-in law and 3 daughters live in Florida, where Phil travels to visit at least once a year. He also has a nephew by his sister who he cradled when he was born in the US before they moved back to Ghana. He’s frequently in touch with them by telephone and social media.

Mark’s family moved quite a lot (South Carolina, Missouri, Delaware). They eventually settled back in North Carolina, where his parents were born and raised, and now live, retired. They are busy spoiling their dogs in anticipation of a grandchild.

How others describe me

Mark about Phil:

I am excited to see Phil become a father. All my friends remind me I won the lottery when I met Phil. He is one of the most kind and gentle souls. He is passionate about his career in medicine and putting his patients first as evidenced by getting handwritten thank you notes from many of them– though I only know this through his colleagues since he is very humble. Phil is definitely the patient and stoic one in the relationship and provides tremendous balance. His intellect and curiosity for learning would no doubt transcend how he would parent.

Phil is always seeking new challenges in life- whether it’s training for a marathon or doing mountain climbs. His zest for life and for seizing the moments that life brings is inspiring.

Phil about Mark:

Mark is the most young-at-heart man I know! It is said that opposites attract, and it seems like the universe brought him to me to compliment my more introverted personality. My favorite thing about Mark is his magnetic and bubbly personality that everyone loves the first time they meet him. He is quick to embrace and acknowledge people he meets, regardless of who they are. It’s fun to watch him play and cuddle with our friends’ children.

Professionally, he is very organized and driven. He’s like the ’energizer bunny’ throughout his day, right from when he wakes up early to go to the gym or to do yoga. I trust him to be my long-term partner through thick and thin, including raising your child.

How We Met

In the fall of 2015, Phil was training to be an anesthesiologist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He visited New York City for his birthday, where Mark was living. We made a connection through social media, and met for lunch. Instantly, we clicked! We both had a connection with Africa: Mark had served in the Peace Corps in Kenya years before, and Phil was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa. We continued to talk and spend weekends together between New York and Philadelphia until Phil completed his training and moved to New York in the fall of 2017. During the pandemic, we made the jump from Manhattan to Brooklyn, and now live in a brownstone apartment in a quiet neighborhood with our very own backyard.

Favorites

Phil

Favorite Movie: Braveheart, The Blind Side, Crash
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Christmas
Hobbies/Interests: running, hiking, making music (singing, piano), cooking, travel
Dream Vacation: foreign town with interesting culture and food and natural wonder

Mark

Favorite Movie: Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars, Devil Wears Prada
Favorite Holiday/Tradition: Christmas
Hobbies/Interests: reading, painting, decorating, gardening, travel