Gay Couple Labels Preemie Baby 'Property' And Instructs Surrogate To Kill Him

By Staff

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A gay couple instructed doctors to withhold medical care from their prematurely born infant, and allowed it to die.

The men had hired surrogate, Brittney Pearson, 37, to carry the baby. After one of her eggs was artificially inseminated with one of their sperm and successfully implanted, the mother was diagnosed midterm with breast cancer. When her cancer began to spread, she opted to carry the baby to 25 weeks, following medical advice that the baby would have a strong chance of survival while she would also not wait too long to start chemotherapy. She stated that she tried to protect the life of the baby as long as possible.

The couple, however, wanted a baby delivered at 38 weeks and demanded that Pearson undergo an abortion instead. She initially refused. The men then threatened legal action against her, the surrogacy agency, and the doctors. Pearson responded with an offer from another family to adopt the baby. The couple declined to accept the adoption offer and instead demanded to see a death certificate.

Once the baby, a little boy, was outside the womb, the gay couple said, California law deemed the baby their property and them, the owners.

In the end, it is unclear whether Pearson, now fighting stage 4 cancer, succumbed to the pressure to undergo an abortion or whether doctors induced early labor. She reported that she held the baby and was able to take a photo with him.

The couple instructed the doctors and surrogate to withhold life-saving care, and the baby did indeed die.