Would a "New and Improved Birth Certificate" have helped this situation?
Would it have made the parties involved even more aware of the complexities of the consequences of their choices?
Update: After reading the article more closely (there's an idea) the answer to my question is no. I don't think it would have mattered. Here's an overview of the facts per the article:
- 58 year old man, Stephen F. Melinger, enters into a surrogacy contract with a woman via a company.
- Midway through the pregnancy, Melinger says he may not be the biological dad so he has to apply for adoption.
- At some point, the surrogate mom signed a consent form saying she was the biological mom.
- The question of an egg donor has been raised because the surrogate mom is black and Melinger is white. The babies are white. However, his race doesn't matter if his sperm wasn't used.
- To further complicate things, the babies are now in foster care because Melinger's abilitry to care for them is being questioned.
In light of this, my idea of a new "birth" certificate wouldn't matter. Maybe they need a "conception" certificate to certify the conception. I know it sounds ridiculous and intrusive, but while attorneys and courts try to unravel this mess, two babies are waiting for a home.
(HT: "When is Surrogacy Simple?" from feminine genius via Charmaine Yoest.)
