Corona Daily 440: Brave New World

Flavia Lavorino and Jose Perez, an Argentinean couple, had tried to have a child for fifteen years. When a friend mentioned Ukraine’s liberal surrogacy laws, Flavia Googled Ukraine. It was 12,800 km away from Buenos Aires.

In December 2018, they began correspondence with a Kiev surrogacy agency. Four months later, they reached the Ukrainian capital after changing three flights. On 22 April 2019, the clinic collected his sperm and her eggs. They would never know anything about the gestational mother. She would simply rent her womb, the child would be genetically theirs.

The fertility tourism package cost $ 40,000. Flavia and Jose needed to borrow from the bank as well as family. It was still much cheaper than in the USA.

Late July, they did a Tango on seeing the WhatsApp message from Kiev. The surrogate mother was successfully pregnant. She would deliver around 10 April 2020. The clinic sent scans every month. It was a boy. After deliberating for weeks, they decided to name him Manuel, Manu for short. But no need to inform the clinic in advance. They would be in Kiev in person to name their son.

Jose is a doctor in intensive care, and Flavia a health worker. They applied for leave well in advance and bought tickets for 2 April, with a stopover in Madrid. Flavia circled the date on her desk calendar.

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In March 2020, 28-year old A. shared a rented Kiev flat with two other surrogate mothers. A. is a mother of two children aged 4 and 7 years old. She had travelled 500 km by train to reach Kiev, leaving her children with their father. The Ukrainian laws require the surrogate mother must have successfully delivered a child before. And the surrogate agency wanted her to be in Kiev, for the doctors to monitor her till delivery. She would spend weeks away from her family, but it was worth it. The money was good.  She didn’t know it but she was carrying a child whose parents were 12,800 km away.

In March, the Kiev subway and trams stopped. Ukraine closed borders to all foreigners. A. developed a routine. Morning exercise, breakfast with porridge, watching TV, and an occasional short walk in the neighborhood. The evenings were chilly and dark.

The thought that the parents would not be in the country when she delivers the child scared her. The agency said the baby will be looked after by a nanny until the parents arrived.

On 30 March, A. delivered. A little prematurely, but the baby was normal. As per the agreement, she left the hospital without coming in contact with the child. Transport permitting, she would go back to her family as soon as she finished the paperwork, and got paid.

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Eight weeks later, Flavia and Jose are still 12,800 km away from their son. A family court has now permitted them to make the trip when (and if) they can fly. Argentina has banned flights until the end of September.

Their son, Manu, is not the only one. There are 100 babies in a Kiev hotel whose parents are abroad. And if the lockdown continues, in a few months, the projected figure is 1000 babies.

Imagine being stranded upon arrival into the world. Details about the surrogate baby boom in Ukraine tomorrow.

Ravi