Alice Dixson on being a mother through surrogacy: 'I'd rather have carried my daughter myself'
Alice Dixson opened up about what it's like to be a mom through surrogacy, saying that she would rather have carried her child if she had the choice.
In a heart-to-heart interview with doctor-to-the-stars Vicki Belo, which was posted on the latter's YouTube channel on Friday, Jan. 20, Alice began the topic by sharing that she had always wanted to have a child and tried to conceive one with her non-showbiz partner, but to no success.
As she was entering her golden years, Vicki recommended an American doctor to help them have a child through surrogacy, and thus, Baby Aura was welcomed into the world.
When asked about what it's like to be a mother at the age of 50, the 53-year-old actress said that it was harder than she imagined, but that she still treasures every little bit of it.
"At my age, when you're more mature and ready for a child, it's like, mahaba ang pasensya mo. You're loving every minute of the experience, but there's the part of running around, which is kind of hard. She's climbing on things and doing all things na naughty at this point. So parang, it's a transition, but in general, I really love the experience," she said.
As a veteran actress, there is perhaps not a single role that Alice has not yet portrayed. Being a mom to Aura, however, is "the best role" she has ever played.
"Sa lahat ng roles na naportray ko, this is the one that I cherish the most," Alice highlighted, thanking Vicki for her contribution to her having a bundle of joy of her own.
Starting the surrogacy process was a steep climb for Alice. "I think finding a surrogate was very difficult, and accepting the fact that we wouldn't try on me anymore and that we would have to go to a third party—that was a big transition for me," she recounted.
If it hadn't been for her age, Alice opened up that she wanted Aura to have come from her own womb.
"It was my partner who said, 'Let's try a surrogate this time because you're getting up there in age' and for me, I said 'Okay, fine' because this way, I could also work. But kung ako ang papapiliin, I'd rather have carried my daughter myself," she said.
In an update about Baby Aura, Alice said that she is now 20 months old and that she has taken quite a liking to climbing, which prompted Alice to enroll her in gymnastics soon. While she still can't speak in full sentences, Alice shared that her father speaks to her in French and hopes that she'll pick the language up, too, along with Tagalog and English.
Alice first revealed Baby Aura's birth in May 2021. A year later, she shared it wasn't her first time to be a parent as she also has an older daughter named Sassa who came into her life as a teenager at least a decade ago. While they may not share the same blood, Alice noted she loves her just the same.