bust Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 All I hope is the parents are dealt with appropriately. Abandoned ... baby Gammy was left with his Thai surrogate mother after his Australian parents discovered he had Down syndrome. Source: Supplied WELL-wishers have raised nearly $121,675 for a baby reportedly left with his surrogate Thai mother after his Australian parents discovered he had Down’s syndrome and returned home with his healthy twin sister. Six-month old Gammy is in hospital with a lung infection, and his 21-year-old Thai surrogate mother, Pattharamon Janbua, fears he will die unless he undergoes surgery for a congenital heart condition, The unnamed couple used a surrogate after they were unable to conceive naturally. Ms Pattharamon became pregnant with twins and when tests at the four-month mark showed the baby boy, named Gammy, had Down syndrome the couple reportedly told her to have an abortion. Ms Pattharamon, a Buddhist, refused. When the twins were born in Bangkok the couple took Gammy’s sister — who was born healthy — home but refused to take the boy. The couple reportedly paid $11,700 for Ms Pattharamon to be a surrogate and the surrogacy agency promised her another $1637 when it was discovered she was carrying twins. “The money that was offered was a lot for me. In my mind, with that money, one, we can educate my children, two, we can repay our debt,†said Pattaramon, already a mother to two children, in an interview with the broadcaster in Chonburi. Ms Pattharamon never met the couple. She is now desperately trying to raise money to care for Gammy, who has a congenital heart condition and is critically ill. Critically ill ... Gammy’s surrogate mother is trying to raise funds to pay for an operation to treat his congenital heart condition. “I don’t know what to do. I chose to have him ... I love him, he was in my tummy for nine months,†she said in the interview. Pattaramon has never met Gammy’s Australian parents, according to Thai newspaper Thairath, which broke the story of Gammy last week, and their identities remain unknown. “I would like to tell Thai women — don’t get into this business as a surrogate. Don’t just think only for money ... if something goes wrong no one will help us and the baby will be abandoned from society, then we have to take responsibility for that,†The family has set up a Hope for Gammy campaign to help fund the baby’s operations. The campaign is reportedly being supported by Australian embassy staff in Bangkok. It has raised $121,675 so far. “6 month old baby Gammy was born in Bangkok with down syndrome and a congenital heart condition. He was abandoned by his family and is being cared for by a young Thai woman who does not have the funds for his desperately needed medical treatment,†the GoFundMe page says. “ Please make a donation so that he can have these operations and improve his quality of life. All monies raised will be kept in trust and will only be used for the care and wellbeing of Gammy.†Left behind ... Gammy will never get to meet his twin sister, who was taken to Australia after they were born. Furious Australians rushed to donate to the campaign, labelling the Australian couple’s actions appalling. “I have a surrogate daughter and appalled that this could be allowed to happen. Selfish, selfish people — surrogacy should be regulated onshore IN Australia, to stop this sort of thing from occurring,†wrote Stuart Rees. Shally Backus wrote: “A warm welcome to this beautiful world little fella. Sorry your start was a little rocky — not all Australians are like this †Rebecca Brown was also outraged, writing: “The behaviour of these Australian parents is appalling — to leave one of their children to die because he is not “perfect� SHAME on them. I pray for every blessing for Gammy and his Thai family. Hopefully Australians can band together and show them a different picture of Australian nature.†“May this selfish and heartless couple be exposed and shamed for this horrible neglect!†said another. Thai health officials have now moved to crack down on the surrogacy business, declaring this week that the only legal surrogacy cases were between a married couple unable to conceive who use a blood relative to bear their child. Surrogacy contracts with unmarried or same-sex couples, and paid surrogacy were declared illegal. They also declared that foreign couples taking a child from its mother to another country required permission from Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Without permission they would be deemed to be violating human trafficking laws. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/k-raised-for-abandoned-baby-with-down-syndrome-born-to-thai-surrogate/story-fnet08ck-1227009760126 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 So suddenly the father decided it's not his kid any more? The BBC has picked it up. http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/k-raised-for-abandoned-baby-with-down-syndrome-born-to-thai-surrogate/story-fnet08ck-1227009760126 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Can you say...DNA test Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted August 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Can you say...DNA test Not sure what the point would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 B5m to fund surgery for rejected baby http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/423798/b5m-to-fund-surgery-for-rejected-baby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baa99 Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Can you say...DNA test Not sure what the point would be. Child support! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Kung Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 This doesn't seem to have been properly thought through. First, I wonder why the amniocentesis was conducted in the first place. Usually they're recommended for women closing on age 35 or over. An amnio is performed at between 16 and 22 weeks. Since the procedure was carried out, there should have been a crystal clear protocol established for the eventuality that one or more of the babies would be found to have genetic abnormalities. (i.e. surrogate may opt to carry the child to term, but will not surrender that child and the child will not be adopted.) Upon discovery of chromosomal abnormalities, it's too late to begin a discussion of whether to carry to term or abort, especially in a Buddhist country that looks down on abortion. If this was set up by an agency, as it appears, they need to spell out resolutions to these eventualities. The birth mother is 21 and has now given birth to four children. I wonder how old the adoptive father is and if he has any other children. I'm guessing there's more to this story. I reserve judgement until I hear the adoptive parents' side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 Child support! . If you are looking for child support, I'm afraid that this poor mother would have to take her place in line behind several million other Thai mothers, whose ex husbands pay no child support. It also doesn't seem like child support is a high priority of the Thai legal/judicial system. My Thai wife and 3 step children have never received a single baht from their biological father. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baa99 Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 . If you are looking for child support, I'm afraid that this poor mother would have to take her place in line behind several million other Thai mothers, whose ex husbands pay no child support. It also doesn't seem like child support is a high priority of the Thai legal/judicial system. My Thai wife and 3 step children have never received a single baht from their biological father. But her case would be in Australia! Remember the father is an Aussie. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cavanami Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Had a bit of this on the Thai TV News last night...good to see it getting publicity!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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