A FUNDRAISING APPEAL has been launched to help a couple bring their three surrogate babies back to New Zealand from Mexico.
New Zealander David Beard, their biological father, and Nicky Leonard Beard, originally from Ireland, say they were scammed by a Cancun adoption agency after flying in from Auckland to meet their newborn girl and two boys.
The babies were born to two surrogate mothers earlier this month in an arrangement with an Argentinian egg donor.
New Zealand news outlet Stuff reports that the Beards believe they are the last gay couple to have been able to use international surrogates, as Mexico brings its IVF legislation in line with tougher laws in most other countries.
Mexico only recently banned foreign and gay couples from having children through surrogacy, but the Beards say government officials told them they would be allowed to bring the children home as their surrogates were already pregnant.
A friend of the couple has now set up a fundraising appeal to cover their costs as they fight to leave the country.
Grace Nixon wrote on the Give A Little fundraising page that the pair were left stranded after their adoption agency “went into hiding” with the money they had sent over for medical and hospital bills.
This meant that they had to pay all the birthing fees again along with the after care for the surrogate mothers.
“Along with this, their first born had complications and had to be rushed to another hospital to be put on a respirator,” she added.
The clinic that delivered him held them ransom by not letting the ambulance leave until they paid them more money.
Their baby then had to spend two weeks in specialist care which cost them a huge amount of money which they hadn’t budgeted on.
The fundraising appeal has already raised over €4,000 to help the couple pay off their unexpected debt, which includes a bill of over €70,000 for the emergency care received by their sick son, who has since recovered.
Even though they remain unable to leave Mexico, David Beard told Stuff they have “achieved their dreams”.
“Despite being stranded in Mexico this story does have an exceptionally happy ending,” he said. ”[We] are the proud fathers of three beautiful babies, Lachlan, Blake and Kelly.”
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