Tragedy of surrogate babies abandoned after parents changed their minds - including boy with Down's syndrome left behind by couple who only wanted his twin sister

Daily Mail UK ^ | February 5, 2025 | staff

[Morgana]

The time, travel, emotional turmoil and expense of entering into a surrogacy agreement with a woman in another country can only suggest that the baby born at the end of the process is a much-wanted child.

However, that assumption has proved tragically false in shocking cases, where parents have abandoned the newborns they claimed to want when circumstances changed after the birth.

They include the much-publicised case of Baby Gammy, who was carried, by a Thai surrogate mother for an Australian couple - who took his twin sister and left him behind after it was discovered he had Down's syndrome.

Surrogacy, when a woman gives birth to a baby for another person or couple, has been flung firmly into the spotlight again this week after Emily in Paris star Lily Collins and her husband Charlie McDowell announced the birth of their daughter, Tove.

Film director McDowell later penned an emotional Instagram post saying they'd been the victim of a 'hateful' response to their newborn's arrival - and they are not the first celebrity parents to come under scrutiny for using a surrogate.

The process - legal in the UK since the Surrogacy Arrangements Act came into force in 1985 but practised for centuries - involves a surrogate undergoing IVF to become impregnated with an embryo using the egg of an intended mother or donor with sperm from the intended father or donor.

For many, it has provided a precious chance at parenthood - but it also remains a highly controversial approach; the harshest criticism has suggested its a form of 'human trafficking' and 'rich people renting women's bodies'.

[tired&retired]

While their are legal protections for supermarket donors in most states, fathers of surrogate children are not protected from child support unless they go through a sperm bank.

We had a case in Pennsylvania a few years ago where a surrogate mother changed her mind and decided to keep her triplets.

She then sued the father sperm donor who was a Dr and won a hefty child support.

[tired&retired]

Freaking AI keeps changing the word “sperm” to “supermarket. “

Go figure!

[Jyotishi]

Well, both involve a lot of selection, but only one has a real checkout line!

[dp0622]

lol

I effectively lost a best friend about 20 years ago when his wife said in front of me that she would abort a child that would come out “defective”.

I’m not nearly as active as someone who devotes their life to the horrors of abortion as, say, Morgana.

But I exploded duing that conversation!

My friend has still been there when I NEEDED him...but we haven’t met regularly since that conversation 20 years ago.

Shame on him for letting his wife dictate who he can see and not see.

That beast and monster.

For a supposed tough guy, I tear up pretty easily.

And the idea of a sick kid being aborted because he/she might need some extra work...well it breaks my heart.

I’m no angel. But I can’t abide that way of thinking and the actions that follow.

[alexander_busek]

The process - legal in the UK since the Surrogacy Arrangements Act came into force in 1985 but practised for centuries - involves a surrogate undergoing IVF to become impregnated with an embryo using the egg of an intended mother or donor with sperm from the intended father or donor.

I am genuinely surprised to learn that in vitro fertilization and the implantation of embryos had been going on "for centuries."

/sarcasm

Regards,

[alexander_busek]

While their are legal protections for supermarket donors in most states [...]

I've seen those big containers stationed out in the parking lot where you can dump your old textiles, etc., but I must have overlooked the circular slot marked "Night Depository" where you can donate bodily fluids.

Regards,

[Cowgirl of Justice]

Back in the 1990’s,I had a coworker whose wife was pregnant. He had just gone with her to an appointment and the doctor discussed Down syndrome and was going to run some tests. My coworker said they didn’t want to know as they would love the child no matter what. ❤️

[21twelve]

My wife and I told the doctor a similar thing for our first baby. She didn’t ask for the second pregnancy.

[tired&retired]

Very funny.

AI sure has a sense of humor to set me up. I caught it two times and corrected it, but missed one. 😁

[tired&retired]

Thanks for the humorous humility.

🙏