Unable to conceive on their own, Scott and Amy Kehoe of Michigan bought eggs and sperm and hired Shelly Baker as a surrogate, a woman who had been a surrogate previously.
Shelly gave birth to twins and the law required that Shelly and her husband be named as the parents on the birth certificate because Michigan doesn't recognize surrogate contracts. A week later, in court, to have the Kehoes designated legal guardians, baker learned that Amy Kehoe had a history of mental illness - unspecified psychotic disorder - and had been arrested for cocaine possession almost a decade prior.
Shelly exercised her legal right to take the children back, refusing to allow the Kehoes to adopt the babies.
Today, Dr. Phil, in a follow-up, was adamant that this was a case of discrimination against the mentally ill and he said, if were taken every baby away from every mentally ill parent, "we'd need to hire buses." he totally rejected the argument that this was not discrimination against the natural, biological mother of these twins, but a prospective adopter. He sees no difference whatsoever.
In doing so, he also made the old "a contract is a contract" argument about surrogacy, and ignored the entire reproductive anonymity insanity. Instead he angrily attacked the surrogate mother as the sole unjust person in this "transaction" because of her decsion not to hand over children she carried and cared about in order to fulfill her contractual obligation. He had other surrogates on who agreed with him, and go the majority of the audience to vilify this woman.
Dr Phil supports internet do-it-yourself surrogacy "contracts" and called surrogacy "a miraculous, miraculous gift" and hoped this show would not scare people away from it. He asked the "surrogate" to give the children back to the "intended parents' because he obviously identified with and felt for their pain and loss.
In this particular case, none of the people involved were biologically connected to the babies - except the anonymous donors. However, the principle of Dr. Phil beleiving that it was discrimination against parents who have mental health issues is invalid, IMHO, when comparing taking children from natural mothers and being approved as adopters.
DO I believe that adopters should be held to higher standards and have to prove themselves. Why? Why not? Why should children be transferred from their parents and released for adoption if not for their betterment?
2 comments:
You left out the kehoes passed a home study and her Dr wrote a letter about how compliant she was with appointments. She obviously has her illness well managed ,same job for 20 years. Yet, this uneducated surrogate can play judge and jury. Who appointed her GOD? This so called surrogate should be villified.She's a baby stealer and scammer.I also think her mental illness is far worse than the intended parents.
And that is your perogative.
However, both you and the very wise dr. Phil ignore the fact that surrogacy is ILLEGAL in Michigan - the state where this occurred!
I think they are ALL nuts! Surrogacy is baby buying. It is immoral and should be illegal everywhere.
That is why surrogacy is permitted in only six U.S. states, eight states allow it with restrictions, while nine states outlaw it, some, such as D.C. and Michigan punishing violators. They're all lucky they're not in jail! Those who contract for human beings takes their chances!! The immorality of it is also why surrogacy contracts are unlawful in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK.
The only ones who deserve any compassion and pity here are two anonymously created children - who, regardless of who raises them will never be able to know their medical history or if they risking dating or marrying a sibling! That didn't seem to bother the highly intelligent Doctor Phil one bit! He's a moron IMHO, to support those who purchased all the ingredients to MANUFACTURE anonymous life! These people are Frankenstein's!! one of them had any concern for the lives they created, only their own selfish needs and desires.
Even though records are sealed fro adoptes in most states, they hold out a glimmer of hope of being allowed to access thos erecords some day. Anonymously created human beings have no such chnace because there are no original records to access. Shelly and hr husband were named on the ORIGINAL and ONLY birth certificate and that is why they were recognized as parents.
Dr.Phill said more than once that Shelly should have done her homework and known this woman's mental condition prior to that fatal day in court. Well, the Kehoes should have done their homework too and they would have known about Shelly's name going on the BC and Mich not honoring surrogate contracts!
Ignorance of the law - they loose! The court has spoken and right or wrong - Shelly got the prize package.
We need to wake up as a nation and recognize that human life should not be toyed with like this and that no one should PLAY GOD!
Where is Dr Phil's concern for 129,000 kids in foster care this couple could have adopted instead of creating yet more children?
It's wrong on so many many levels...but mostly for the twins.
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