Australian couple abandon surrogate twin with Down's syndrome in Thailand

[gxm]

I disagree. A commodity is a good or service. Goods are material items, not babies. There is a commodity here but it is the service of being a surrogate, not the actual human beings involved.

I understand not wanting to consider a child a commodity. But the babies were purchased. People don't just pay a woman $15,000 to bring a pregnancy to term. They pay her to hand the baby over after it's born. Relinquishing the child is part of the contract which for all intents turns the child into a commodity. Now if the surrogate had carried the child to term out of the goodness of her heart (aka "altruistic surrogacy") then, you're right, not a commodity. But once a woman is paid to carry and then relinquish a child (aka "commercial surrogacy"), it becomes a whole different story.

 

[human]

I understand not wanting to consider a child a commodity. But the babies were purchased. People don't just pay a woman $15,000 to bring a pregnancy to term. They pay her to hand the baby over after it's born. Relinquishing the child is part of the contract which for all intents turns the child into a commodity. Now if the surrogate had carried the child to term out of the goodness of her heart (aka "altruistic surrogacy") then, you're right, not a commodity. But once a woman is paid to carry and then relinquish a child (aka "commercial surrogacy"), it becomes a whole different story.

Cool.

Maybe there can be auctions and the infants can be displayed and certain features would bring in more money.

For instance, for a pedo that prefers girls, the price would be higher . Papers would be needed to prove conviction, of course. No way would someone's word just do.

I am not being serious, in case anyone thinks so.

But that is the commodity way .

Think slavery

 

[Mrs G Norris]

Can't link this one .. but I watched Peter Reith (previously one of Howard's most conservative ministers) talking to Graham Richardson on 'Richo' last night, he was blaming this whole situation on the fact that surrogacy and adoption is so difficult in Australia. When asked who was making it so hard he blamed it on a minority with a very loud voice having too much say, namely the christian right. He said he will be putting more of an effort into this situation himself, so perhaps this whole thing will bring about some much needed change.

 

[Brightbird]

Can't link this one .. but I watched Peter Reith (previously one of Howard's most conservative ministers) talking to Graham Richardson on 'Richo' last night, he was blaming this whole situation on the fact that surrogacy and adoption is so difficult in Australia. When asked who was making it so hard he blamed it on a minority with a very loud voice having too much say, namely the christian right. He said he will be putting more of an effort into this situation himself, so perhaps this whole thing will bring about some much needed change.

How can he blame this situation on hard to get surrogacy and adoption in Australia? The father has sex convictions against three children. In a sense, the system here is working if these parents had to go overseas. I agree with the rest of what he said though.

 

[Ausgirl]

Seems this is turning into a real "she said/they said" thing, with both parties telling very different stories.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/patt...ons-of-baby-gammys-story-20140805-100rcy.html

Bit different to the public claim made by the Aussie couple that Gammy wasn't even their own child, isn't it?

The Perth couple was contacted by 9News after they were identified by the baby’s surrogate and denied they were the parents of baby Gammy.

While the couple admitted they had a baby girl about the same age as baby Gammy and that they had used a surrogate, they say she did not have a twin brother.

The couple described their surrogacy experience as “traumatising”.

The man identified as the father also told the ABC that the clinic had only told them there was a baby girl - not a boy.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/pa...a-thai-surrogate/story-fnet085v-1227012256324

So that was a pile of porky pies, wasn't it. First he denies Gammy's theirs at all. Now they claim they were told he had a day to live and were sad to leave him behind. Major spin doctoring, I think. Doesn't lend them much credibility now they're trying to put all the blame on the Thai mother.

Can't believe the Thai Govt is considering pressing charges against the birth mother - for human trafficking? Leave her alone to raise her kids, I say. She seems to be doing a pretty good job so far.

 

[Mrs G Norris]

How can he blame this situation on hard to get surrogacy and adoption in Australia? The father has sex convictions against three children. In a sense, the system here is working if these parents had to go overseas. I agree with the rest of what he said though.

What he is saying is that it's so hard in Australia to use surrogates that we go overseas .. thereby avoiding any scrutiny .. say we had a great surrogacy program in Australia, if someone then went overseas for a baby it'd raise red flags with authorities straight away.

 

[Ausgirl]

I understand not wanting to consider a child a commodity. But the babies were purchased. People don't just pay a woman $15,000 to bring a pregnancy to term. They pay her to hand the baby over after it's born. Relinquishing the child is part of the contract which for all intents turns the child into a commodity. Now if the surrogate had carried the child to term out of the goodness of her heart (aka "altruistic surrogacy") then, you're right, not a commodity. But once a woman is paid to carry and then relinquish a child (aka "commercial surrogacy"), it becomes a whole different story.

I do not see anything wrong with a woman being paid to act as a surrogate. She has to take time off work, there's potential health issues she may face, and giving birth is not exactly a picnic. Giving up a child you've carried is hard, too. It all takes a toll. So I don't see any problem with payments being made directly to the birth mother, to compensate her for all that. I think it's actually pretty fair.

In my opinion, that doesn't make the child a "commodity". If the mother was selling her own biological child, that'd be a different story (as happens so often with 'adoptions' in poor countries..).

 

[Mrs G Norris]

Neither do I Ausgirl .. there should be some kind of official way to do this .. perhaps even a govt dept running it (I know, but nobody wants to see a whole lot of companies spring up), so that compensation is regulated and fair. It would also allow for background checks of the parents involved as clearly nobody who is a convicted pedophile should be able to partake.

 

[jjenny]

"Samitivej Sriracha Hospital spoke to reporters Tuesday to confirm Gammy has a strong and healthy heart, contrary to earlier reports in the international media that the boy has a life-threatening congenital..."

Please credit and share this article with others using this link:http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/425206/gammy-has-a-fit-heart-doctors-say. View our policies at http://goo.gl/9HgTd and http://goo.gl/ou6Ip. © Post Publishing PCL. All rights reserved.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Child protection authorities visit home of baby Gammy couple

Australian child protection authorities have visited the home of the biological parents of baby Gammy, the seven-month-old at the centre of the Thai surrogacy scandal.

Bunbury couple Wendy and David Farnell have Gammy’s twin sister in their care.

It was revealed yesterday that David Farnell had been jailed in 1997 for sexually molesting two girls under the age of 10.

Just months into the three-year sentence, he was charged with indecent dealings with another child under the age of 13.


http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...-mail-order-bride-service#3fTKkM8DOZUS3EMy.99



This has been a topsy turvy story where in the grand scheme of things, the twins win out in the end. One pedophile crushed of his plans to 'set up', a child to abuse at will and access to her play friends (when she is older) to abuse.
I hope the Thai government are lenient with Ms Chanbua, she doesn't deserve to be made an example of, the system should be stopped and other children taken this way should be sought out. Who knows how many 'Mr Farnells' have done this unnoticed?

This story started out about an abandoned DS twin with life threatening heart problems, money has been raised to give him and Ms Chanbua's family a good life. Gammy deserves a good family to love and nurture him, if it is Ms Chanbua, all well and good, but the Australian authorities have stated Gammy is an Australian citizen, does this mean he can be taken and placed for adoption in Australia? Time will tell.

Imo, it doesn't matter anymore about Farnell and his excuses about abandoning Gammy, doesn't matter anymore, he's a seducer, a liar, he doesn't deserve to be listened to, his daughter should be removed from that household a.s.a.p, imo.

He's an convicted pedophile that should never be near children for the rest of his life! I trust child services this time will get it right. lease:

JMHO

 

[Mrs G Norris]

I'm worried child protection services will stuff this up because it happens all the time that pedophiles have kids / have shared access to kids / move in with women with kids etc .. sadly.

 

[gitana1]

Gammy’s surrogate mum faces charges as Australian parents break silence

THAI medical authorities are threatening to take legal action against a 21-year old surrogate Thai woman at the centre of global debate over the alleged abandoning of a Down syndrome baby by an Australian couple.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/lifes...ts-break-silence/story-fnihp1e3-1227013406177

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/pa...ts-break-silence/story-fnet08xa-1227013406177

Seriously? The poor, 21 year old surrogate willing to take and raise the abandoned child who is unrelated to her, she's the one facing charges? Not that hideous couple? Crazy, mixed up world, man.

Child protection authorities visit home of baby Gammy couple

Australian child protection authorities have visited the home of the biological parents of baby Gammy, the seven-month-old at the centre of the Thai surrogacy scandal.

Bunbury couple Wendy and David Farnell have Gammy’s twin sister in their care.

It was revealed yesterday that David Farnell had been jailed in 1997 for sexually molesting two girls under the age of 10.

Just months into the three-year sentence, he was charged with indecent dealings with another child under the age of 13.


http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...-mail-order-bride-service#3fTKkM8DOZUS3EMy.99


This has been a topsy turvy story where in the grand scheme of things, the twins win out in the end. One pedophile crushed of his plans to 'set up', a child to abuse at will and access to her play friends (when she is older) to abuse.
I hope the Thai government are lenient with Ms Chanbua, she doesn't deserve to be made an example of, the system should be stopped and other children taken this way should be sought out. Who knows how many 'Mr Farnells' have done this unnoticed?

This story started out about an abandoned DS twin with life threatening heart problems, money has been raised to give him and Ms Chanbua's family a good life. Gammy deserves a good family to love and nurture him, if it is Ms Chanbua, all well and good, but the Australian authorities have stated Gammy is an Australian citizen, does this mean he can be taken and placed for adoption in Australia? Time will tell.

Imo, it doesn't matter anymore about Farnell and his excuses about abandoning Gammy, doesn't matter anymore, he's a seducer, a liar, he doesn't deserve to be listened to, his daughter should be removed from that household a.s.a.p, imo.

He's an convicted pedophile that should never be near children for the rest of his life! I trust child services this time will get it right. lease:

JMHO

How does he molest more kids months into a three year sentence? They have kids in jail now?

 

[Jack]

How does he molest more kids months into a three year sentence? They have kids in jail now?

I read it to mean he was charged with another crime three months into his three year sentence, not that he committed another crime three months in.

 

[Ausgirl]

From the report jjenny linked earlier:

Meanwhile, the Department of Health Service Support (HSS) yesterday inspected a clinic on Phetchaburi Tat Mai Road in Bangkok suspected to be linked to the Gammy surrogacy case. HSS director-general Boonruang Triruangworawat said the clinic and its doctors obtained legal sanatorium licences to perform assisted reproductive technology services. However, the department found the clinic offered surrogacy services to prospective parents where the surrogate mother who was carrying a baby for them was not a relative of theirs, which is against Medical Council of Thailand (MCT) regulations.

The names of the physicians would be sent to MCT for further investigation. The name of Gammy's mother was not found on the clinic's patient list.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/425206/gammy-has-a-fit-heart-doctors-say.
Sounds a bit dodgy.

I wonder if this is the clinic which first diagnosed Gammy with a defective heart. Was the heart issue a lie, or has his heart had time to repair itself?

This case just keeps getting more convoluted by the moment!

 

[Amee]

David and Wendy Farnell were married in 2004 in Jianjiang
They met through matchmaking agency after Farnell's first marriage ended
He was jailed in late 1990s for sexually molesting two girls under age of 10
In 1998 he was charged with six counts of indecently dealing with a child under the age of 13 and was convicted and sentenced again

Farnell obtained a child via a surrogate mother in Thailand despite being a convicted child sex offender because there are no laws to stop him in his home state of Western Australia.

To make matters worse, it has been reported by Channel Nine that the WA-based mother used her married name on Gammy's birth certificate but her maiden name on her baby daughter's documents.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-surrogate-babies-overseas.html#ixzz39aLBcvqK

 

[Amee]

Two DCP officers visited the family's home last night and again around 10:00am today but their calls remain unanswered.

The acting director general of child protection, Emma Whyte, says the department will persist.

"Look, assessments of this nature can and do happen quickly. We will be there every day until the care and safety of this little child can be assured," she said.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/in...ter-news-of-fathers-child-sex-convict/1353238

 

[Amee]

It has been suggested the egg may have come from yet another mother. Other aspects of the surrogacy, and what happened after the surrogate mother was impregnated, becomes more confusing as each day passes.

Baby Gammy’s parents say they were never told of the existence of another baby and that the woman who claims to be the surrogate mother is not the woman who was introduced to them by a surrogacy agency.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/saving-more-baby-gammys/story-fni0ffsx-1227014661548

This is crazy!

 

[jjenny]

Children with Down syndrome often have heart defects. Maybe first clinic just assumed he had a heart defect? Both the bio parents and a surrogate at least agree they were told he had a heart defect, so it doesn't sound like something either one made up.

 

[Ausgirl]

It has been suggested the egg may have come from yet another mother. Other aspects of the surrogacy, and what happened after the surrogate mother was impregnated, becomes more confusing as each day passes.

Baby Gammy’s parents say they were never told of the existence of another baby and that the woman who claims to be the surrogate mother is not the woman who was introduced to them by a surrogacy agency.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/saving-more-baby-gammys/story-fni0ffsx-1227014661548

This is crazy!

But then they also say they went to visit him and his sister, and weren't allowed to hold the babies... they're contradicting themselves left and right. Crazy indeed!

 

[jjenny]

It has been suggested the egg may have come from yet another mother. Other aspects of the surrogacy, and what happened after the surrogate mother was impregnated, becomes more confusing as each day passes.

Baby Gammy’s parents say they were never told of the existence of another baby and that the woman who claims to be the surrogate mother is not the woman who was introduced to them by a surrogacy agency.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/saving-more-baby-gammys/story-fni0ffsx-1227014661548

This is crazy!

Baby Gammy's parents now claim they knew he existed but were told he was not going to live. So that article appears to be inaccurate.