"Are you still humans?" That's what a Thai surrogate was left asking after an agency suggested she abort the baby with Down syndrome, who was later rejected by his Australian parents.
According to an article in the National Post, the 21-year-old surrogate has been left with the abandoned infant after his parents took care of the boy's twin sister.
Pattaramon Chanbua took a break from her job to care for seven-month-old Gammy, who also has an infection in his lungs and a congenital heart condition.
“I’ve never felt angry at them or hated them. I’m always willing to forgive them," Pattaramon said of the Australian parents whom she met once. “I want to see that they love the baby girl as much as my family loves Gammy. I want her to be well taken care of.”
Though Pattaramon negotiated a fee of 300,000 baht ($9,300) for acting as a surrogate, she has not yet been paid in full by a Thai agency since the twins' birth in December.
Nor did the agency inform her of the boy's condition until seven months into the pregnancy, when it was suggested that she abort him.
Apparently surrogacy is a major problem in Thailand, where "legal loopholes" allow the practice to go on undeterred, and can sometimes lead to human trafficking.
Like many surrogates, Pattaramon, who has children of her own, decided to carry babies for couples overseas because she needs the money to settle debts.
A fund for Gammy has been raised by an Australian charity has already raised nearly $200,000.
Is surrogacy a viable practice, provided it is adequately regulated?
This man started a family of his own by uncommon means.
Printer-friendly version