DNA ISSUES AND THE 6 MONTH WAIT!

Today, I received an early morning telephone call from a doctor in India, who was contacted by a couple in distress, who had just found out that their baby was not genetically related to them.  The doctor that they contacted  for help, did not perform IVF, nor did she hire a surrogate on their behalf.  This couple as well as the doctor had no idea that they will have to go through the adoption process,  as they  have already created a bond with the baby.  I gave the doctor the telephone number as well as e-mail address of attorneys in India, who can help.

Many of you are not alone, and should try to connect with each other so that you all have moral support while you are in India, then get professional help once you return to your country of origin.   When this happens to anyone,  it is life altering.  Many people lose their livelihood, as well as the relationship of their other partner when something this trying happens in life. When we started out on our journey to surrogacy in India, it was not a 2.3 billion dollar a year industry, so we were not aware of what was happening in the background.  No amount of research will prepare you for this.  If you are not involved in this business or if you do not know someone this has happened to,  then you are not aware of the ramifications of this situation. This is something that is not blogged about nor talked about in the surrogacy community, for obvious reasons.  For those of us, who have had children, and DNA testing was not required, it will leave us with questions unless we do DNA testing on our own, which we have now chose to do.  Whatever the outcome  is,  I am certain for all of us, intended parents  nothing will change. All of our children deserve an explanation as to how they arrived here  whether they are genetically related or not.   We have  decided to contact our doctor, and demand that all sperm and embryo's be destroyed at this point, as we are finished creating our  family. We do not want to have an inkling that there is another child born via our genetic material at all.   This was something that was never on our mind previously.  As we all know, you have no legal recourse in India, as surrogacy is unregulated.

Alec &Elle Turned 2 Today! WAMU RADIO Washington DC Public Radio

Local Couple Pursues Parenting Dream Overseas


I am back from India, and I am already missing the warm weather.   Surrogacy in India is still thriving and regulation is still on the plate.  Many in the legal world, are not sure if the process will truly be regulated, or if the situation will be diluted.   I was able to visit a number of surrogacy homes in Delhi, and it looks like a number of doctor's are stepping up to the plate, as far as clean and safe surrogate housing.  While visiting one surrogate house, it was impressive to see the women with their children in tow.  The doctor who ran that surrogate house said that the women feel better having the their children with them for the duration of the pregnancy.  With that said, there is still a lot of concern especially from local groups in regards to the growing rates of surrogates who have died after giving birth.

According to embassy officials, intended parent's going to India for surrogacy still need to be as vigilant  as possible when seeking out a doctor to help in the process of creating your family.  A number of cases have come up where the intended parents DNA tests have came back negative, meaning one or both of the intended parent's DNA did not match that of their baby or babies.   If this does come up, you will be required to adopt your baby and that process in India takes about 6 months. 

Surrogacy in India, is still a good option for many people.  Intended parent's should talk to other's who have gone through the process if they are able to, before you begin your journey to parenthood.

Happy Holidays  To All!
 

RED, GREEN & YELLOW Light mean GO in India!

I arrived this morning and quickly got into the full swing of India mode.  My plane was delayed by 2 hours and my driver was nowhere to be found when I arrived in Delhi.  Therefore I went with a local taxi guy who drove his beat up car as if it were a race car.  I was waiting for my head to hit the roof of his car at any moment. He theen took me to the wrong Hilton that I had booked and then I left my iPhone in his car.  Luckily for me I kept his receipt and the folks at Hilton called the cab company and for a price he retuned the telephone.

I am currently at another Hilton property which is very run down and they are charging me $250 per night and they claim it is a 4 star.  They are a 1/2 star kind of place.  The room is  smoky and the wifi works in spurts.  I am looking forward to meetings that have been arranged so that I can share with folks any new information in regards to surrogacy in India.


Stay tuned!

India Bound!

I am headed to India tomorrow and hope to post some new blog information!!

Hello Canada...Surrogacy in India is available!

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

SURROGATES: Reflections on the birth of my son via a surrogate in India

Published on October 24, 2012 by Hans Ongsansoy   ·   No Comments

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Crystal Travis (right) is a surrogacy advisor. All three of her children were born via a surrogate in India. Submitted photo

CRYSTAL TRAVIS
VANCOUVERDESI.COM Our son Mark turned 4 on Oct. 15th, and so many memories flashed through my subconscious all day.
I’m sure his surrogate Nayana was thinking about his birth, as she currently is working in Israel in order to send money back home to India. As most of us know, women from Third World countries often travel to other countries to seek out a living for their family back home.
I went back through the journal my husband and I started before Mark was born, to see just what we were thinking leading up to his birth. A middle aged couple, me, African American, and my husband, Caucasian and born in Melbourne, Australia – who would have thought that children of the ’60s would have ever connected.
Well, we did and, as life moved on, my eggs aged out. By the time we decided to have a family, and start down the road of IVF, we already needed an egg donor. Then we realized that we needed a surrogate, too, so off to India we went. My husband Colin often said he thought of this as a lottery ticket. Who would have ever thought that we would win?
In 2008, there was not much talk about surrogacy in India, and it certainly was not a 2.3 billion dollar business like it is today.
Our journey led us to Gujarat, India, to a little village called Anand. This area of India is known as a cottage industry for surrogacy. We were mesmerized by the kindness of people as well as the all-encompassing poverty around us.
Uday, who is a fixture in Anand, dropped us off at a hotel called The Laksh, We hated the food, and the stench of the hotel made us nauseous. However, we love Indian food, and to this day still eat hit it 1-2 times a week. We both ended up eating tangerines for days, from a cart off of the street, which is the worst thing you can do, besides drinking the water, in a Third World country, and lost weight.
The days seemed to lag as if we were behind in time by hundreds of years. The juxtaposition about so many things happening around us almost seemed like too many things to take in, on one’s first trip to India. The constant sound of beeping and auto rickshaws crawling around the town like ants was a sight to behold.
The colours of the saris that waved through the air, as women rode 3-4 on motorcycles, was like a slow motion dance and we sat for hours as if in a trance watching everything whiz by.
The next morning, a man who we would consider a valet in the U.S, hailed down an auto rickshaw for us to ride in. This strapping man was a force to be reckoned with, as his long sword hung from its holster on his pants. We noticed that he kept sending away rickshaw after rickshaw. Finally we asked why and he replied they want more than the 20 rupees it costs for the ride despite it only costing no more than 10 rupees.
Ten rupees is equivalent to 20 cents in U.S. currency. Who would argue with someone with a sword? Eventually we rode through the crazy streets in Anand, where cows, dogs, motorcycles, bikes, cars, trucks, and, yes, even a woman nursing her baby were all on the same street.
We met with Dr. Patel, and her husband, Dr. Hitesh Patel, and thought what an interesting pair.
Colin did his sperm deposit in what used to be an objectionable bathroom but he was able to get the job done. We discussed finances and hung around to meet our surrogate.
Finally to our excitement our surrogate came, with her family. An exchange of questions were answered, and the customary photos that most intended parents wish to take were shot. However I had a gut feeling that this would not work.
I noticed many other couples who were at the clinic, and they had the look of deer caught in the headlights. This was something that Colin and I did not have and it served us well.
After returning home we received news in late January that our surrogate did not receive a positive. I told Dr. Patel to find another surrogate immediately because emotionally I knew I had to get back on the horse right away, or I would dwell in my own sorrow and possibly give up. Almost immediately Dr. Patel found us a surrogate who was a nurse. As fate would have it, she ended up being the surrogate for all three of our beautiful children.
We received sonograms, as well as videos of our son, over the months of the pregnancy and all went well. As soon as we arrived in Anand on Oct. 15, 2008, Mark was born. The story of his birth is for another post, but one that, looking back on now, was a series of comedies that were not comical at the time. Nevertheless, we are ecstatic and blessed to have our son.
Crystal Travis’ website, WorldofSurrogacy.com, provides basic information about the process and expenses of surrogacy. She and her husband, Colin, live in the D.C. area with their son Mark, born in 2008, and twins Alec and Elle born in 2010. The children were born of the same surrogate mother in a clinic in Anand, Gujarat, India.

Hollywood and World of Surrogacy

Surge In Surrogacy And Hollywood Is Taking Notice

October 16th, 2012 CEO

There is a surge of births through surrogacy and Hollywood is taking notice. E! News host Guiliana Rancic has a son by a surrogate mother, born late last month. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick also have children born of a surrogate, as do Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban.
Crystal Travis has experienced the anguish of infertility herself, and selected surrogacy as a solution. “Every family has the right to realize their dreams of parenthood in an affordable and low stress way,” Travis says. She and her husband have a son born in India, and twins born two years later of the same surrogate mother. Because of their experience, Crystal Travis started a consulting service for intended parents.

Surrogacy costs about the same as adoption, but has an important benefit: the resulting baby has a genetic connection with one or both parents. Choosing a surrogate mother in India is a fraction of the cost of surrogacy in the United States. But it can be difficult for prospective parents navigating their way through the paperwork and ensuring their baby gets good prenatal care. Travis has helped dozens of people become parents through surrogacy in India, overseeing the pregnancy, birth and homecoming every step of the way. More than 25,000 babies are born through surrogate mothers in that country annually.
Travis launched her consulting business after the birth of her twins. “Surrogacy is a 2.3 billion dollar industry in India,” she says. She frequently travels to India to meet with attorneys and have personal contact with the doctors providing prenatal care and delivery. A support staff in India makes frequent calls to check on the progress of each pregnancy, and the well-being of surrogate mothers. There are fewer laws regulating surrogacy in India, which contributes to the lower cost and faster results.
Travis’ website, www.WorldofSurrogacy.com, provides basic information about the process and expenses of surrogacy. She and her husband, Colin, live in the D.C. area with their son Mark, born in 2008, and twins Alec and Elle born in 2010. The children were born of the same surrogate mother in a clinic in Anand, Gujarat, India.
Please see www.worldofsurrogacy.com

WPFW Monday 9:30-10:00--Surrogacy in India!

Please join in for a lively chat on Monday with the founder of World of Surrogacy on WPFW live on 89.3 Pacifica radio.  If you reside in Maryland, Washington DC or Virginia you can tune in on 89.3, all others can join in online......................