Gammy's parents: We didn't know he existed
The Australian biological parents of Gammy, who was born by a Thai surrogate mother, did not know about his existence. The father has stated this according to Australian media. The doctor who performed the IVF only informed them about the (healthy) twin sister. According to him, the agency that mediated in the surrogacy no longer exists.
The baby, who is now six months old, is said to have been abandoned by the parents because he suffers from Down syndrome, according to previous reports. The child has a serious heart defect and will have to undergo several operations in the coming years to correct it. An Australian charity organization has raised an amount of 5 million baht, more than enough for the operations that will cost more than 750.000 baht in total.
The 21-year-old surrogate mother is disappointed with the father's statements. “I want him to come to Thailand and talk to me in front of the media. Then the truth will be made public. Otherwise, people who don't know me will think I'm a bad person.'
The woman does not want to say where the IVF took place. Ar-kom Praditsuwan, director of the Bureau of Sanatorium and Art of Healing, says it happened in a large and registered hospital in a neighboring province of Bangkok.
The highly publicized case has prompted the Ministry of Health to launch an investigation into IVF clinics. Twelve have been found so far, seven of which are registered with the Department of Health Service Support (HSS). Doctors who are not licensed can expect an investigation from the Medical Council of Thailand; charges are filed against them. In that case, the HSS closes the clinic. 45 doctors are licensed according to the Medical Council of Thailand.
Thailand has no legislation regarding surrogacy. The Medical Council only has rules for surrogacy if the egg and sperm come from blood relatives.
Ar-kom says Thailand is considered a "paradise" for parents seeking surrogate mothers. There are about twenty brokerage firms, most of them foreign-owned, with an annual turnover of four billion baht.
(Source: Bangkok Post, August 5, 2014)
Previous post: Australian couple refuse Down baby from surrogate mother
It's good that this issue is getting a lot of attention
heart warming , the gifts . Maybe the truth will come out someday (?)
During my stay in Isaan I regularly saw the same;
father abandons unhealthy ( even born healthy ) baby .
Don't ever hear from them again, let alone send them some money
for the family left behind.
I never see / hear anything about that , not on TV ; not in the newspaper.
Why not ? Is that less shameful? Or is the fact that the father is not Thai cause for publicity?
If you know, I'd like to know.
My wife told me that the prices of the IVF treatments mentioned above in the registered hospitals - depending on the degree of difficulty and the number of repetitions - can vary from approximately 1,5 to 10 million Baht. It is therefore not surprising that Thai mediation agencies arise that mediate for (Thai and foreign) childless couples in these matters, charge lower costs but then place the treatments at non-registered hospitals and clinics. It was reported on the TV news today that 15 babies born through these non-registered clinics cannot go abroad because their birth papers (and therefore their passports) are not in order.
The story also gets another tail because - reportedly - the Australian father has been convicted in the past for sexual abuse with a minor.
Moderator: Please credit the source for that last sentence, because that is a pretty serious accusation.
see the Bangkok Post and very recently (also on the website of the Bangkok Post) a posting that the surrogate mother who is staying in Australia therefore now wants her baby back…..while she has done things herself (letting herself be paid for surrogacy) that being illegal in Thailand.
Moderator: That the father is a convicted pedophile is reported by the Australian TV channel Nine Network based on a report from the Associated Press news agency citing an anonymous police officer as the source. According to the Bangkok Post website today. (This is the correct source reference)