A surrogate mother in America was offered $10,000 to have an abortion after the parents discovered that the baby girl was disabled.
Before ultrasound scans showed the baby wasn’t developing normally, Crystal Kelley (29) was paid $22,000 to carry the child.
Abortion offer
However when doctors suspected that the baby had a cleft lip and palate, a cyst in her brain and serious heart defects, the parents offered Crystal $10,000 to have the baby aborted.
Crystal then made a counter offer for $15,000, although she later regretted making the demand.
“In a weak moment I asked her to tell them that for $15,000 I would consider going forward with the termination’, she said.
Change of heart
She later decided to keep the baby, and told the parents that they should not be “playing God”.
Lawyers subsequently got involved in the case, demanding Crystal to have an abortion. But the parents later changed their minds saying that they wanted the baby to be born and given up for foster care.
However, one month before the baby was due, the parents launched a new legal fight to to be known as the legal parents on the birth certificate.
Twist of events
It was then discovered that the genetic mother wasn’t in fact genetically linked to the baby and that the parents had used an anonymous egg donor.
Lawyers were still arguing about parental custody after the baby was born, and an agreeemnt was later reached.
A family adopted the baby girl, known only as ‘Baby S’ on the condition that the parents could stay in contact about the baby’s health.
Crystal believes that she made the right decision saying: “No one else was feeling this pregnancy the way that I was. No one else could feel her kicking and moving around inside.”
Defying odds
Baby S has serious medical problems that have turned out to be much more extensive than the ultrasound test had revealed.
However, now eight months old, she is defying the odds by making eye contact, grabbing for toys and giggling with other children.
“This case demonstrates just how complicated things can become in a world where IVF, commercial surrogacy and abortion come together,” said Dr Peter Saunders, of the Christian Medical Fellowship.
Read Dr Peter Saunders’ blog on the story here >
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