KOCHI: A couple from Pathanamthitta, now settled in the US, is anxiously waiting for the reopening of the airspace to return to Kerala – to meet their first child born out of surrogacy.They became the parents of a baby girl after a 10-year wait but are unable to meet the child even after 15 days of its birth. They first saw the child through videoconferencing arranged by the Kochi hospital where the surrogate mother gave birth to the child on March 19.
The couple’s plan of receiving the child got delayed when countries suspended air passenger travel in an attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus. Aware of their difficult position, private hospital arranged a video conferencing and the couple checked the health status of the baby.With the wait to reopen the skies getting longer, the private hospital authorities handed over the infant to the couple’s relatives in Kochi on Friday.
“They left for the US six months ago and had planned to return by the time of the delivery. However, the Covid-19 outbreak scuttled their plans. We handed over the child to their relatives on Friday,” said Dr Parasuram Gopinath, consultant and scientific director, CIMAR Kochi. “In the current scenario, we don’t know when they will be able to meet their child. We have extended all assistance to them,” he added.
The couple, in their late 30s, decided to go for surrogate pregnancy after various treatments failed. The surrogate mother was discharged from the hospital after a 15-day stay and the child’s care was entrusted to the nurses.“Right now, we are not in a position to respond due to various issues,” said the husband in a message from the US.