Couple launch last-minute campaign
against outlawing payments to surrogates
By Norma Greenaway
Ottawa Citizen
Before knowing the joys of motherhood, Lenore Goldfarb endured the heartache of eight miscarriages, which it turned out were caused by an untreatable medical condition.
Today, Goldfarb and her husband Robert make no secret they owe the birth of their two biological sons to two women, known as gestational surrogates, who agreed to carry their babies to term.
They also make no secret of the fact they paid the women as part of the agreement. The Goldfarbs argue that rather than money, the primary motivation of most gestational carriers is a desire to help infertile couples create a family.
Anxious to tell their story, the Montreal couple is participating in a last-ditch e-mail and letter writing campaign aimed at persuading a key Senate committee to amend proposed legislation outlawing compensation to surrogates beyond receipted expenses.
Advocates for infertile Canadians also are urging the committee to change provisions prohibiting payments to egg and sperm donors, arguing the supply will dry up.
In a letter to the senators, the Goldfarbs warn passage of the legislation will force prospective parents and surrogates underground, or force Canadians to go to the United States where surrogacy is more commonplace.
"Indeed, it might foster a climate where women will be forced to carry babies for siblings, where gestational carriers and intended parents will be vulnerable to emotional and possibly even financial blackmail," the Goldfarbs wrote. "This bill will tear families apart and create the very climate it is intended to prevent."
The campaign is an uphill venture, given the Martin government’s apparent determination to get the legislation enacted into law before the next federal election, expected as early as May. More than a decade in the making, the so-called assisted human reproduction legislation prohibits human cloning, the creation of human embryos for research and establishes rules for the operation of fertility clinics. One amendment would effectively kill the legislation for the foreseeable future because it would force it back to the Commons where a speedy re-approval is unlikely. The legislation won only narrow approval in the Commons where MPs were deeply divided over its provision to allow stem cell research on human embryos left over from fertility treatments.
Liberal MP Paul Szabo, a leading critic of the legislation, says he’s praying the Senate forces a rethink of the bill. "If they find one comma they have to change in the bill, it has to go back to the House of Commons," he said in an interview. "Just give me a comma, any comma. And then we'll do this properly.
Several senators on the committee have said since hearings began last week that even though the legislation is not perfect, they are ready to approve it to end the regulatory vacuum for human cloning and related activities in Canada. The provisions affecting surrogacy and egg and sperm donors have attracted little public attention compared to the pitched battles over embryonic stem cell research.
Opponents decry the research as an assault on the sanctity of life because the embryo is destroyed in the process of harvesting stem cells. Proponents counter embryonic stem cells hold great promise as therapeutic agents for the regeneration and repair of tissues and organs damaged by everything from spinal cord injury to Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy and heart disease.
The Senate committee on social affairs, science and technology resumes hearings Wednesday on the legislation. Among the witnesses will be Canadians who have struggled with infertility and their advocates.If enacted as written, the legislation will dramatically change the current practice of paying gestational surrogates and egg and sperm donors.
Surrogates get upwards of $20,000, while the going rate for eggs is about $2,500. Sperm donors get between $50 and $75. Senator Michael Kirby, the Liberal chairman of the committee, said he has read the letters and e-mails and looks forward to hearing testimony on the issues. But he also stressed senators are keenly aware that if they change the bill, they will likely kill it. "That’s the dilemma we'll face," he said.
If you value this service, kindly consider a donation to the Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation (registered charity). Earmark the donation for the International Breastfeeding Centre (Newman Breastfeeding Clinic) and/or the Goldfarb Breastfeeding Program.
Donate online: canadahelps.org
Donate by mail: Canadian Breastfeeding Foundation, 5890 Monkland Ave, Suite 16, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4A 1G2.© 2002-2019 Lenore Goldfarb, PhD, CCC, IBCLC, ALC and contributing authors to AskLenore.info. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any specific questions or concerns about any health issue, you should consult with a qualified healthcare provider.
The AskLenore administration is not affiliated with, nor sponsored by, nor do we sell or receive any commissions or incentives from, any of the products or services that we link to on this website. Therefore, we are not responsible for the accuracy, quality, availability, or suitability of said products or services. You should always do your own research and due diligence before purchasing or using any product or service that we link to on this website.
The views and opinions expressed on the message boards are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of asklenore.info. Any content provided by our users are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.