Couple loses twins to surrogate

[NicoleLJ]

http://www.fox17online.com/news/fox1...,1456142.story

Surrogate Battle: Local Couple Loses Twins to Birth Mother

Amy and Scott Kehoe say their twins wouldn't be here today if it weren't for them. Tonight, they're speaking out for the first time about how they lost custody of them to the birth mother and the ordeal they've gone through.


Full story at link. Want to get others thoughts before I put mine in.

[Taz_Zoee]

I have never carried a baby before. But I think the Kehoe's should have got to keep those babies. They are their babies even if they aren't biological. The surrogate mother wouldn't have had them if it weren't for the Kehoe's. And she knew going into this that the babies would not be hers. I don't agree with the law that goes with the birth mother. Especially in this case that she was only the oven. I know mothers get emotionally attached to the baby when they carry it. But as I stated, the surrogate knew this going into it. And she's been a surrogate before.
The woman's "mental issues" shouldn't have anything to do with it. She even got a letter from a medical professional saying she could handle it.
I am so sad for that couple and the babies.

[lizbud]

Somebody else watched Dr Phil today besides me. I didn't like the
surrogate mom, I think she looked for some fault in the adoptive mom
just to keep the babies for herself. IMO.

[pomtzu]

Unfortunately, it's a chance they took, and then lost. It doesn't seem fair, but I certainly hope they were aware that something like this could happen when they entered into the deal.

It appears that the law is on the side of the birth mother. I'm not saying if I agree or disagree, but it's a sad story that other couples have gone thru too. If I were childless and wanting a child in my younger day, I would have adopted, or just done without. I couldn't go thru that kind of heartbreak.

[Grace]

I'm wondering why they didn't/couldn't use their own egg and sperm - then they would be the biological parents.

[NicoleLJ]

They had tried invetro for 8 years. So something must have been wrong with their eggs and sperm. What I would like to know is how the surrogate could accept all their money for the things the babies needed and for the medical expenses, maternity clothes and so on and yet still keep the babies and not compensate the adoptive parents at all.

I feel so bad for the adoptive parents. I side totally with how Dr. Phil viewed this.

[Grace]

From the NY Times -

Under Michigan’s law, commercial surrogacy is punishable by five years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Ms. Baker said she did not carry the children for money and was reimbursed only for actual expenses like doctor’s appointments. Neither she nor the Kehoes have disclosed exactly how much that was.

Ms. Baker said she was the one who recommended Dr. Jonathan Ayers of IVF Michigan for fertility services. Dr. Ayers was involved in her two previous surrogate pregnancies.

I worked with Dr. Ayers when he was a Med Student.

[NicoleLJ]

http://drphil.com/shows/show/1397

For those who have not seen Dr. Phil show on this above is the link.

[Catty1]

I read and watched much of what was on that link...is the couple who hoped to adopt the twins going to go to court?

If surrogacy is not supported in Michigan, they can't go that way...but they can apply to adopt, I would think.

Just really really sad.

[NicoleLJ]

They fought it in the courts till they ran out of money. So they can't apply to adopt right now and can't fight it any longer either. They lost everything.

[Grace]

I read and watched much of what was on that link...is the couple who hoped to adopt the twins going to go to court?

If surrogacy is not supported in Michigan, they can't go that way...but they can apply to adopt, I would think.

Just really really sad.

“We are stopping the fight to get our babies back,” Ms. Kehoe wrote in an e-mail message. “The reason is because of the slow court system, and because of the terrible Michigan laws. JUSTICE DOES NOT PREVAIL in this case due to Michigan laws.”

Ms. Kehoe still has hope, though. It is stored in a tank of liquid nitrogen at IVF Michigan. The tank contains 20 frozen embryos made from the eggs and sperm she bought.

I haven't watched the video as yet - do they say WHY they couldn't use his sperm with a donor egg, or her egg with donor sperm? Then one of them would have been the biological parent and this would not have happened.

If they had thoroughly researched the terrible Michigan laws before beginning the process, perhaps none of this would have happened.

[Grace]

State by state surrogacy laws.

[Asiel]

I can't judge what the circustances really are in this case. To me it seems as though the surrogate mom used the mental illness issue as a weapon to keep the babies. If everyone with a mental illness was prevented from having children there might not be a next generation to worry about.

Adopting a child is very hard today, especially if one wants a baby. But that's the road I would have chosen had I been in the Kehoe's position. The risk with surrogacy is just too great.
I don't think anyone will ever know the real story behind this issue no matter what is printed or said.

I feel very sad for the poor couple whe were misled by this woman.

[RICHARD]

There's a couple of pre grown kids in AZ that are available and what is wrong with a kid from another country?

[NicoleLJ]

nobody said there was anything wrong with getting a baby from another country or adoption. They just chose to not do that option. They wanted to try surrogacy. It is a choice, not a put down to other avenues.