Skip to main content

Thai surrogate says unaware twin had Downs until late in pregnancy

A Thai surrogate mother left with one twin by his Australian biological parents after the child was born with Down's Syndrome said on Sunday she was not informed of his condition until late in her pregnancy.

Pattaramon Janbua said her doctors, the surrogacy agency and the baby's parents knew he was disabled at four months but did not inform her until the seventh month when the agency asked her - at the parents' request - to abort the disabled fetus.

Pattaramon, 21, told Reuters Television she refused the abortion on religious grounds and carried both him and his twin sister to term six months ago. The parents, who have not been identified, took only the girl back with them to Australia.

The boy, Gammy, needs surgery for a congenital heart condition, according to media reports. An online campaign in Australia had raised nearly A$200,000 ($186,200) in donations so far for the operation.

"I want to warn those who are considering becoming a surrogate mother, don't only think about the money," Pattaramon said. "If the child is born with an unusual condition or if anything goes wrong, it will become a burden for you and society."

The case has caused controversy in both Thailand and Australia and brought calls for commercial surrogacy to be banned in the Southeast Asian country. Thailand is a top destination for medical tourism and many couples come for services such as fertility treatment and some for surrogacy.

LAW DELAYED

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Saturday that authorities there would look to see if there was anything they could do about the case. "It is an incredibly sad story," he told Australian reporters.

Pattaramon said she agreed to a fee of 350,000 Thai baht ($10,900) to carry the twins for the couple. She said they agreed to pay her another 150,000 baht to keep Gammy.

She declined to identify the agency or give details of the providers of medical services to her during the pregnancy.

Gammy is being treated for a lung infection in a hospital east of Bangkok and his condition is stable, a spokesman as the hospital said on Sunday.

There are no laws governing surrogacy in Thailand, said Vichien Chavalit, permanent secretary of Thailand's Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. A law has been drafted but not yet submitted to parliament.

Gammy was not the first case in which a child has been left with a surrogate mother, Vichien said, adding: "This will lead to further social problems."

Lawmaking in Thailand has been paralyzed since December, when parliament was suspended by then Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. She was forced from government amid mass protests in Bangkok shortly before the military staged a coup on May 22.

The military government named an interim legislative assembly on Thursday and it is expected to hold its inaugural sitting on Aug. 7.

_0">

_1">

(Additional reporting by Apornrath Phoonphongphiphat and Morag MacKinnon; Writing by Simon Webb; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

_2">

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o