The Heart Behind The Family Village
The Family Village was born from a deeply personal journey. Our founder, Katie—a dedicated and accomplished lawyer—spent years navigating the emotional rollercoaster of IVF in her pursuit to grow her family. After the birth of her second child, she faced the heartbreaking reality that carrying another pregnancy was no longer possible.
But Katie and her husband didn’t give up. They embarked on a five-year journey filled with hope, challenges, and resilience, ultimately leading them to surrogacy. In 2022, their beautiful son Vinnie came into the world.
Katie’s lived experience is the heart of The Family Village—she understands the path because she’s walked it.
Vinnie’s Legacy: Love That Conquered All
In what remains an unbearable truth for Katie, her beloved son Vinnie—brought into the world through extraordinary love and surrogacy—passed away unexpectedly in December 2023. His time earthside was heartbreakingly brief, leaving behind a family forever changed and deeply heartbroken.
In the depths of unimaginable grief, Katie, her family, and their incredible surrogate, Sally, came together to ask: How can we honour Vinnie? How could they celebrate his life, his journey, and the love he brought with him? The answer was clear—Vinnie’s love was powerful. It transcended time. It conquered all.
Out of this love, The Family Village was reimagined—not only as a place of legal expertise, but as a sanctuary of compassion, lived experience, and wholehearted support.
With over 18 years of legal experience, Katie now dedicates her career to walking beside those on the path to parenthood—offering legal advice, advocacy, education, and genuine care, especially in the delicate world of surrogacy.
She is passionate about creating change, with a vision to see IVF and surrogacy become more accessible and supported across Australia.
Together with Sally, her surrogate and now colleague, Katie co-leads The Family Village. Their unique partnership is one built on shared experience—seeing the journey from both the eyes of the intended parent and the surrogate. They’ve lived it. They understand it. And now, they’re here to guide you with both professional expertise and open hearts.
Vinnie’s legacy lives on in every family they help create.
With Vinnie in her heart and a passion to assist and support others through their journey in creating a family, Katie established The Family Village.
Meet the Team
Katie (she/her)
Founder
Katie was admitted as a solicitor in 2007, beginning her career in family law. Curious to explore more of the legal landscape, she soon moved into commercial and estate litigation, where she has practiced almost exclusively for over 15 years. This background has equipped her with strong skills in advocacy, negotiation, and resolving complex disputes—skills she now applies in the deeply personal and evolving field of fertility and family creation law.
Katie’s own journey to parenthood has been long and deeply personal. After experiencing more than 10 rounds of IVF and multiple pregnancy losses, she became a proud mum to Ivy and Levi, born via IVF, and Vinnie, born through surrogacy. Katie lives on the Gold Coast with her husband, children and two cavoodles.
In honour of Vinnie, who passed away unexpectedly just five days before his first birthday, Katie founded The Family Village. Her mission is to support individuals and couples navigating IVF, donor conception, and surrogacy with empathy, compassion, and practical legal guidance. Having walked those paths herself, Katie understands how emotional and complex these journeys can be—and she’s here to make them feel a little less daunting.
Katie now focuses on fertility and family creation law across all Australian states and territories, including international surrogacy matters. She advises intended parents, surrogates, and donors, and assists with:
- Surrogacy legal advice
- Parentage order applications
- Donor conception agreements
- Parenting plans
- Intrafamily adoptions
- General guidance around assisted reproductive technologies (ART)
Katie also works with ART clinics across Australia, helping ensure their internal procedures are aligned with relevant laws and best practices in their state or territory.
Alongside her surrogate and dear friend Sally, Katie shares her personal and professional insights to help others build families in a way that supports trust, transparency, and long-lasting relationships. Their own surrogacy journey created a lifelong bond—one that continues to inspire the work they do together.
Sally (she/her)
Paralegal and resident Surrogate
Sally is The Family Village’s Senior Paralegal and a passionate advocate for surrogacy. Before entering the legal world, Sally spent over two decades in senior leadership roles at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, where she built a successful career in the banking industry.
Today, Sally lives on the Gold Coast with her husband David and their two daughters, Alice and Molly.
In 2022, Sally fulfilled a lifelong dream and became a surrogate through IVF. Her journey with Katie and her family was deeply meaningful, culminating in the birth of beautiful Vinnie in December 2022. This experience profoundly shaped Sally’s next steps, leading her to take a redundancy from CBA and begin a new chapter in the legal field.
Since joining The Family Village, Sally has embraced the transition with enthusiasm, developing a keen interest in the legal and ethical dimensions of fertility and surrogacy. She is committed to using her skills and lived experience to advocate for more accessible, supportive legal pathways for surrogates and intended parents alike.
Sally now offers initial consultations to women (and their partners) who are considering becoming surrogates. She knows firsthand how valuable it is to have an open, honest conversation with someone who’s walked the path. Her consultations are a safe, welcoming space—where no question is off-limits and every answer comes from the heart, grounded in personal experience and practical insight.
If you’re thinking about becoming a surrogate and would like to chat with Sally, you can book an appointment here.
Vinnie
Our number one team member
Vinnie’s story is one of patience, strength, and an abundance of love. His journey began back in 2015, when he was created alongside his big brother, Levi, from the very same egg collection. Levi was transferred to Katie that year, but little Vinnie was always in the plans.
Following Levi’s birth, Katie underwent an emergency hysterectomy—meaning the path to bringing Vinnie earthside would take a little longer and would look a little different. But Vinnie waited patiently.
In March 2022, Vinnie’s embryo was transferred to Sally, a cherished friend and soon-to-be surrogate. From that moment, Vinnie began to thrive. He made his presence known in the classic ways—morning sickness, heartburn, and all the little reminders that a tiny life was growing strong.
Vinnie was born in December 2022, surrounded by warmth, joy, and the people who had been loving him long before he arrived. For the first few days, he didn’t make a sound—he simply ate, slept, and gazed up with his beautiful wide eyes, completely at peace. Sally and Katie sat in awe, watching him with hearts full of wonder.
As the days passed, Vinnie’s personality blossomed. He quickly became the light of every room—radiating joy, snuggling into arms, and giggling his way through his first year. He shared a special bond with Lola, his four-legged sidekick and partner in playful mischief.
Some say Vinnie was brought into the world by the fierce love of his family. But those who knew him best would say otherwise—it was his love that carried them all. His presence, his spirit, and his joy reminded everyone just how powerful one tiny soul can be.
Vinnie will always be remembered for the love he gave, the hearts he touched, and the light he brought into this world.
