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HOW CAN I FEEL SAFE CHOOSING A SURROGACY PROGRAM?
You’re considering working with a
surrogate.
You are
afraid that she’ll keep the child, that things won’t work out,
that you’ll be risking your money and your emotions.
What do you do?
How do you protect yourself?
In light of the recent guilty plea of Attorney Theresa
Erickson, someone who claimed to care about assisting
infertile couples, admitting that she scammed hundreds of
thousands of dollars from couples by sending surrogates to the
Ukraine to conceive, then selling their babies, your concerns
are certainly legitimate.
This is probably the single most important decision in
your life, and it is one that should be made after careful
investigation and deliberation.
So, how do you decide who to trust?
Well, the first and most important piece of advice
is—if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
There are dozens of fly-by-night surrogate programs out
there.
Surrogate
Mothers, Inc. has been in business longer than any program in
the world, except one (a very good program in California).
If you find a surrogate program that promises you a
child for $40,000, RUN AWAY!
Surrogacy is expensive, and it ought to be.
A decent surrogate program will have doctors,
psychologists, lawyers, administrative staff, and others all
as part of its program.
No surrogate program anywhere can guarantee that you will have a
child.
If someone
makes such a claim, RUN AWAY.
Think about it—how could anyone possibly promise you
that a woman can conceive?
While the mere fact that a business has existed for a
long time, without more, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s
reputable, it goes a long way to assuring that you’ll be
protected.
SMI has
been assisting clients since 1984, for 27 years, but much more
importantly,
we have
been a member of the Better Business Bureau without a single
complaint having been filed, and we have an A+ rating with
the BBB.
Check out
the program you’re considering.
Ask for references.
Ask for testimonials.
Ask if they’ve ever had a case of failed surrogacy.
What Attorney Erickson did is an abomination.
She stole people’s money.
She deceived people who trusted her.
But, the idea that a program would send a surrogate to
the Ukraine to conceive is simply absurd.
Wouldn’t you think that was a bit strange?
There are hundreds of IVF clinics in the U.S., many of
which do outstanding work.
It’s like these ridiculous surrogate agencies in India
that promise a child (or two) for $35,000.
When you dig deeper, however, you find out that their
surrogates are impoverished, that the legal work is
impossible, and that you have no control whatsoever over your
choices.
If it doesn’t feel right
to you, RUN AWAY. Use
your common sense. It
is completely understandable that in an area so fraught with
emotions that you might not think clearly.
But, the decision to create a life is so important, it
deserves your utmost scrutiny.
Call me. What I
will guarantee is that even if you don’t end up working
with us, you’ll feel
much better about surrogacy after we’ve spoken.
SMI has never, ever misrepresented anything to its
clients. That’s why we
have the reputation that we do.
Don’t place your trust in someone unless you feel
completely comfortable with them.
It’s not worth it.
[1]
[1]Theresa
Erickson pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
She admitted that she sent surrogate mothers to the Ukraine,
then once they got pregnant and their pregnancies went into
the second trimester, she falsely represented that the
mothers’ couples backed out of the agreement, then tried to
sell their babies for as much as $100,000.
She also admitted to lying to courts, claiming that the
surrogacy arrangements were legitimate.
Another lawyer, Hilary Neiman, from Maryland, also pled
guilty.
They face up to 5 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine, as
well as (hopefully) being disbarred.
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