Divorced man adopts surrogacy

NCW and All indian women, we need a New Law against Such Act, We should ban Surrogate Mothers who Help to get Child for a Indian man.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1251145.cms

Divorced man adopts surrogacy 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, OCTOBER 04, 2005 12:19:55 AM ]

KOLKATA: He is called Arjun. Born a day ago, and weighing just 2.8
kg, he nestles snugly in dad's arms. But he might never get to know
his mother. Arjun is the country's — and possibly the world's —
first surrogate child born to a single father.

Arjun's father, Amit Banerjee, is a divorcee and doesn't plan to
remarry. But he could never give up his desire to have a child. "A
child is always an extension of the self. I wanted to see myself
through my baby," said Banerjee, a tax consultant.

Till last year, he hadn't even heard of the term 'surrogate mother',
until a casual conversation with a friend veered round to the topic.
It struck a chord with Banerjee. If test-tube technology can give
women the freedom to be a mother without having to marry, can't a
man do the same? But could it be done?

Banerjee approached the Ghosh Dastidar Institute for Fertility
Research and underwent several clinical tests in order to determine
his health and fertility level. An advertisement was published in a
national daily to select a mother who would carry the embryo.

Twenty applications came in; only three were selected after a tough
screening by a renowned doctor. "Several counselling sessions were
held to gauge the emotional condition of the would-be surrogate
mother."

After the doctors made their selection, several psychological tests
were conducted to check the level of willingness, monetary status
and the educational background of the surrogate mother.

"In every session, the woman had to be accompanied by her husband. I
tried to determine that she did not want to donate her womb simply
to earn money. I could feel the surrogate mother had a sense she was
fulfilling a social responsibility," said Dr Sudarshan Ghosh
Dastidar, director of the Institute for Fertility Research.

Now, he is a proud father — a bit nervous, but overjoyed. He does
not fear of any social stigma and is ready to disclose the truth to
his son after he attains maturity. "Arjun should never feel ashamed
to disclose his identity," said Banerjee.

There was no formal monetary transaction with the surrogate mother,
but she was provided the cost of transport and medicines. Banerjee
also met her at regular intervals.

"During the nine months, there was a lot of anxiety in my mind. If
the pregnancy failed, the entire risk would be mine. And dealing
with the wife of another man was never easy," Banerjee said.