An Australian couple have sparked global outrage by refusing to continue with a surrogacy agreement when one of the twin babies involved was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
The story began when the Australians enlisted a Thai woman, whose family was heavily in debt, to have a baby for them by IVF. She was subsequently found to be pregnant with twins but the initial joy turned to rejection when one of the twins, a boy nicknamed Gammy, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
The Australian couple wanted the birth mother to have an abortion but she refused. When she gave birth to the baby boy, and his twin sister, in Bangkok, they refused to take Gammy and left him in Thailand while they took his sister back to Australia.
A campaign to help pay Gammy’s medical bills has been spreading worldwide, but the deeper issues appear more difficult to solve. Many commentators believe this case highlights the problem of “designer babies”, where babies are simply not wanted if they are deemed “less than perfect”.
Others point to the inequalities involved in surrogacy itself. The Thai woman in this case was said to be very unaware of what was involved, needing to have the IVF procedure explained to her at the outset. Some will question whether such women are vulnerable to exploitation from wealthy couples.
At the end of the day, a set of twins have been separated, simply because one suffers from a disability.