We wanted refund, Gammy's dad says

[webfact]

GAMMY CONTROVERSY
We wanted refund, Gammy's dad says
The Nation, Agencies

Couple blamed Thai clinic for twin with Down's syndrome; claim they wanted to abort the 'ill' boy

BANGKOK: -- The Australian parents at the centre of the surrogacy scandal asked for a refund from the Thai surrogacy agency involved when they learned that baby Gammy would be born with Down's syndrome, they revealed in a television interview.

The father, David Farnell, also admitted that had they known about the disability earlier they would have insisted the infant's Thai surrogate, Pattaramon Chanbua, abort the foetus, as no "parent wants a son with a disability".

The couple told Australia's "60 Minutes" programme in an interview aired on Sunday night that they were angry to discover that the baby boy, one of their twins, had Down's syndrome so late into Pattaramon's pregnancy.

"I said: 'Give us back our money. This is your fault'," Farnell said in the interview, referring to the Bangkok-based agency.

"We were very confused and we said that this is your fault. You must now take some responsibility for this," he said.

"It was late into the pregnancy that we learned the boy had Down's," Farnell told "60 Minutes" reporter Tara Brown. "They sent us the reports but they didn't do the checks early enough.

"If it would have been safe for that embryo to be terminated, we probably would have terminated it, because he has a handicap and this is a sad thing. And it would be difficult - not impossible, but difficult."

It was the couple's first media interview since it was revealed they had left their son in Thailand and took his healthy sister, Pipah, home alone.

Farnell and his wife Wendy denied abandoning Gammy or ordering Pattaramon to abort him because of his disability.

However, Pattaramon insisted the couple abandoned Gammy after earlier asking her to have an abortion, which she refused because it was against her Buddhist beliefs and Thai law.

Farnell said: "We didn't leave him behind. We wanted to bring him with us, but things were happening that we couldn't. The surrogate mother wanted to take our girl, and we were getting scared that we were going to lose her. We had to try and get out as fast as we could."

Pattaramon had said earlier that the couple ignored Gammy when they came to the hospital and were happy for her to keep him.

Farnell, who has a history of sexual offences against young girls, said during the interview that Gammy's twin sister would be safe in his care. He said he no longer had sexual urges towards young girls after undergoing counselling in prison.

"I don't have this urge to do anything anymore," he said. "She will be 100 per cent safe. I will do everything in the world to protect my little girl."

Meanwhile, Australian couples have continued to leave Thailand with their babies born to surrogate mothers even after the Gammy saga, the Sydney-based website News.com.au reported yesterday.

"People are leaving Bangkok at the moment and going home with babies," Gaurav Wankhede, who has facilitated surrogacies for seven Australian couples, was quoted as saying.

"People who completed the cycle by August will have their deliveries in the next nine or 10 months, give or take, so I think realistically it should be a 12-to-14-month window for sure."

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/We-wanted-refund-Gammys-dad-says-30240743.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f40XOsw5gHg

[thenation]2014-08-12[/thenation]

[NongKhaiKid]

Just when you think this couldn't get anymore disgusting and it's far from over.

 

I wonder if they have any friends left ?

[Seastallion]

I can't continue listening to him....he is an unconvincing liar and chills my spine.

[robertthebruce]

What does he think it is,a Packet of Crisps he ain't happy with at Tesco's , and expects a refund, as it's not the flavour he likes.

This guy is not to be trusted,I don't want to be reading in a few years time, of anything with his daughter.

Can't the authorities do something......

There's something not quite right with him....

[rametindallas]

I don't know if it's bad reporting or what, but the 'facts' in this case keep changing and I get the distinct impression that 'Dad' is not telling the whole truth and trying desperately to save what good reputation he may have left. 

[Arkady]

This man talks as if he really believed that he was a party to a legal contract and that commercial surrogacy and abortion were legal inThailand. A moment's reflection would clarify that no country would allow a convicted sex offender to be a party to a legal transaction of this nature. A moment's research would reveal that the whole set ip was illegal in Thailand even for parents who are not sex offenders and that abortion is only legal in extenuating circumstances which do not cover this case.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[shirtless]

He is an idiot You never get a refund in Thailand 

[Tatsujin]

Why is he being interviewed? Why isn't he already in jail for illegal surrogacy/adoption across international borders? Why is this lying, immoral scumbag even allowed to be able to adopt?

[chooka]

Disgusting pig, he never wanted gammy.

 

If you watch and listen to the interview he refers to Gammy as "The Little Boy" and not "Our Little Boy".  When he referred to the sister it was "Our Little Girl or Pipah"  They never recognised Gammy as their son.

[Kf6vci]

"...this is your fault". Hear, hear. And it wasn't the "father's fault" that they locked him up for paedophile crimes either?!?

 

 

[allan michaud]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

 

Just when you think this couldn't get anymore disgusting and it's far from over.

 

I wonder if they have any friends left ?

 

It seems the Thai girl is not 100% free from blame either. She was apparently quoted yesterday as having said she told them they couldn't take the kid and she threatened to get the police involved. She told AP reporter that she was afraid the couple would put the child into some kind of home for disabled kids. Very messy all around and the guy being a serial pedophile is shocking. Sounds like the perfect storm of assholes to me. Incompetent doctors, money grabbing Thai girl and words fail me regarding the Aussie couple.

[tx22cb]

From the interview, the Aussie not only "asked for a refund" but wanted compensation for the additional cost the Aussie couple would have in raising the Downs child.  The sequence was:

1) Farnell berates the agency for telling him about the medical complication very late

2) the topic of abortion is raised, but rejected by the Thai surrogate

3) Farnell asks the agency for compensation to cover the cost of raising the child

4) agency offers a solution - tells Farnell that the Thai surrogate has agreed to take the child (the Thai surrogate was somehow led to believe that otherwise the Downs child might return to Australia and be put into some type of institution - and she knows what similar Thai institutions are like)

5) Farnell agrees to the solution

6) Farnell returns to Australia with one twin, contacts the agency one last time, sends final payment, never asks about the Downs child again, and thinks that's the end of the story as there is radio silence for half a year

7) 6 months later, when the story breaks, a lot of backtracking, acting and spin is used in the interview, and now claims he was intending to go back to get the other twin in the future (although he hasn't done anything in the intervening 6 months)

 

Farnell did not look very comfortable/rational during the interview - hope he might not be tempted to do something rash

[ozsamurai]

POS, if you can't tell he is full of it, your blind..

 

Oz

[LuckyLew]

I do not know the laws and rules involved, but IMO there is no way in heck he should be allowed to keep the little girl.
The more I read his quotes and see his crocodile tears tge more I want to vomit

[chotthee]

"Give us back our money. This is your fault" Farnell said

 

I am sure he is protected by Thailand's consumers act.

Prayuth may be able to help.

[tifino]

the boy will be totally reliant on those Internationally sourced donations to support him for the rst of his life.

His Birth Certificate should show farang mum and dad as the named parties, as he totally has their bloodline. 

The Thai surrogate would back step to be just a witness.

Thai infrastructure will not support him as he is not Thai, and has 100% farang blood

Surrogate would have to adopt him to keep him, otherwise it's off to the Thai institutions anyway, which is what she was using as a major point in not letting him go...

 

poor kid

[tonbridgebrit]

Hold on, condemn Farnell because he's a paedaphile, fine.

Right, the agency told him at a late stage that one of the kids had Down's Syndrome. He himself says that if he had of known that the child had Down's Syndrome, well, he would of decided on an abortion. Now, had he of known, and he did insist or put pressure for an abortion, and the abortion was carried out, would we still condemn Farnell's actions ??

Yes, condemn him for the way that he has behaved since finding out about the baby having Down's Syndrome. That still doesn't remove the point of the agency telling him very late.

I'm trying to say that lot's of couples do actually decide on an abortion when or if they find out that the child has Down's Syndrome. Supposedly, back in the 1990s, about 90% of all couples who were told that they've got a Down's Syndrome baby opted for abortion. The percentage is not so high now, but it's still about two-thirds or higher. Are we going to condemn couples who do an abortion when they find out about the child having Down's Syndrome ?

 

 

[Spouse]

the boy will be totally reliant on those Internationally sourced donations to support him for the rst of his life.
His Birth Certificate should show farang mum and dad as the named parties, as he totally has their bloodline. 
The Thai surrogate would back step to be just a witness.
Thai infrastructure will not support him as he is not Thai, and has 100% farang blood
Surrogate would have to adopt him to keep him, otherwise it's off to the Thai institutions anyway, which is what she was using as a major point in not letting him go...
 
poor kid

did they find out who the egg donor was? The Chinese wife?

[wonder6281]

I'd like to know how they managed to get all the paperwork done to enable them to return with the baby girl so quickly!

[PdJ100712]

No REAL parents would ever fight in this utterly shameless way. When you decide to have children, you can't pick and choose. A REAL parent accepts the outcome of his procreation. But then, perhaps, this is at the heart of the difference. These two innocent and blameless babies are not offsprings but the unfortunate product of a business transaction involving a paedophile, his misguided wife and a poor girl from a developing country, who has wasted no time in capitalising on the little boy's disability. Stop airing your disgusting and filthy dirty linen in public. I feel very sorry for the twins and I hope they find better carers than the three of you (I hesitate to call you parents).

[mok199]

when people use ''jargen''..like''things were happeining that we just coudnt bring him home''it just means they are dodging the truth...what things happend...name them ,walk us thru this step by step

[traviss]

the boy will be totally reliant on those Internationally sourced donations to support him for the rst of his life.

His Birth Certificate should show farang mum and dad as the named parties, as he totally has their bloodline. 

The Thai surrogate would back step to be just a witness.

Thai infrastructure will not support him as he is not Thai, and has 100% farang blood

Surrogate would have to adopt him to keep him, otherwise it's off to the Thai institutions anyway, which is what she was using as a major point in not letting him go...

 

poor kid

Incorrect... Under Thai law the surrogate is the legal parent. She would need to willingly relinquish and sign over custody of Gammy. So in fact, Gammy is considered to be a Thai citizen. The Australian government has reported to be considering dual citizenship with an Australian passport. This is the least they can do considering the Australian government allowed a convicted child sex offending Australian citizen to purchase and import a baby from abroad. 

[nickcar]

He wanted a refund becuase his child was born with downs.
Never heard anything so extraordinary and horrible in my life. I hope the aussis watch him closely.

[h90]

This man talks as if he really believed that he was a party to a legal contract and that commercial surrogacy and abortion were legal inThailand. A moment's reflection would clarify that no country would allow a convicted sex offender to be a party to a legal transaction of this nature. A moment's research would reveal that the whole set ip was illegal in Thailand even for parents who are not sex offenders and that abortion is only legal in extenuating circumstances which do not cover this case.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

 

But well abortion would have been the right thing to do. Legal or illegal it is very common in Thailand and almost openly promoted.

[car720]

Why is he being interviewed? Why isn't he already in jail for illegal surrogacy/adoption across international borders? Why is this lying, immoral scumbag even allowed to be able to adopt?

 

Patience!  In Australia they occasionally understand the need to give enough rope.

[belg]

how high are the donations right now ? anyone ?

[Blindside]

This might be one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen (the whole story - not just the video). This entire affair is a complete cock-up.

 

The way that surrogacy is run in this country is nothing short of prostitution.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Blindside

[MANICMINER]

 

the boy will be totally reliant on those Internationally sourced donations to support him for the rst of his life.

His Birth Certificate should show farang mum and dad as the named parties, as he totally has their bloodline. 

The Thai surrogate would back step to be just a witness.

Thai infrastructure will not support him as he is not Thai, and has 100% farang blood

Surrogate would have to adopt him to keep him, otherwise it's off to the Thai institutions anyway, which is what she was using as a major point in not letting him go...

 

poor kid

Incorrect... Under Thai law the surrogate is the legal parent. She would need to willingly relinquish and sign over custody of Gammy. So in fact, Gammy is considered to be a Thai citizen. The Australian government has reported to be considering dual citizenship with an Australian passport. This is the least they can do considering the Australian government allowed a convicted child sex offending Australian citizen to purchase and import a baby from abroad. 

 

 

Yes, that is what i thought that the birth mother has parental rights, but wouldn't the oz father be able to get equal parenting rights through the courts?

[Basil B]

I think the Thai mother who is carried the twins for 9 months and was left with one who needs a lot of care has a better case to sue the agency.

[Gandtee]

What a sad, sick story.