A surrogate mother of triplets sues the father for asking to abort one and threatening her with financial damages if she refuses. The lawsuit was filed in California by the 47 year-old mother, Melissa Cook, who is fighting for the life of one the three children currently growing in her womb.
The woman plans on taking on the law surrounding the process by asking authorities to re-analyze, reconsider, and reform them to better promote equality for both sides.
Cook was hired by an unidentified man with only the given initials of C.M. to be a surrogate mother to his children. The process implied in-vitro fertilization (IVF) of the man’s sperm and a 20 year old donor’s eggs. According to Cook, she has an empathy for men who want children, and she was offered a sum of $33,000, so she gladly accepted.
The surrogate mother was implanted with three embryos. Around nine weeks later, she found that all three of them have started developing and that she was carrying triplets. Upon informing the father, however, he stated that he only wants twins and demanded that she abort one of them. If she refused, the woman was threatened with “financial ruin”.
The surrogate mother refused and offered to raise the child herself
According to Cook, after her refusal she received numerous phone calls from the man’s attorney, threatening that she will become liable for “large money damages” if she does not comply. Now, when she is 23 weeks pregnant, she continued to refuse, but offered to raise one of the children, specifically the one the man wanted aborted. However, it seems that the compromise was not to his liking.
In fact, the man stated that he would rather give the child up to a stranger than the woman who has actually carried it to term. This sort of spite has made Cook to file a lawsuit, now seeking custody of the child while the court will decide what should be done with the other two. After this incident, the surrogate mother has stated that she no longer views surrogacy arrangements in a favorable light, if such a thing is possible.
According to the attorney, it’s cruel to the mother to be demanded to terminate the life of one of the children she is carrying and be threatened with financial damages when she refuses. Especially in the case when she offered to raise the child herself instead. The statements are backed by the man’s claims that he would rather have a stranger raise it than the woman who has carried the child and saved its life.
The man’s attorney argued that the contract between the two permitted a “reduction”, and that he “understands, but does not agree” with her decision. The lawsuit has been filed and it remains to be seen the California’s court decision.
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