DNA Mismatch or Willful Abandonment of IVF child – Is there a difference?

Most people may not know about the laws (or rather lack thereof) for IVF and the issues it raises. The question is as a humanity what do we do with an innocent IVF child? Do they have any rights? An IVF child is born with compassion of several people including donors and surrogate, do they have any rights or at least a say in the best interest of the IVF child? If the innocent IVF child will have no rights, would the concerned parties like egg donor, sperm donor, surrogate would have agreed to help an infertile person?

DNA Mismatch – This occurs when there is a sample which was accidentally swapped in the IVF clinic and as a result the innocent IVF child has no genetic link with the intended parent. Most people may not care as they just want a child and some who do wil abandon the child. Second the laws care because the laws require a “genetic link” between parent and a child especially for immigration purposes in countries like US, Canada, Australia, UK, etc. So what does a citizen of one of these countries do when there is a DNA mismatch? Legally, they cannot take the innocent IVF child despite them wanting to.  Some people will abandon the innocent IVF child, some people will break more laws and try to sneak in the innocent child, some people will make the ultimate sacrifice by moving lock, stock and barrel and continuing a humanitarian fight in the best interest of the child regardless of the “genetic link” or not. Because you see a child is a child and recognizes only love, its not about DNA, its not about gender of parent, its not about immigration status of parent despite what the laws says, its about what is the best interest of the child. And to “manufacture” an IVF child only to abandon even if accidents that occur outside your control, what’s the point about our humanity?

Abandoning an IVF child – This occurs when there is willful abandonment and the resultant endangering welfare of an innocent child. In this case, an intended parent places an “order” for an IVF child and then does not take custody of the child leaving them in legal limbo. “Baby Gammy” is a case where an Australian intended parent did not take custody of the IVF child born in Thailand. In another case, an Australian couple abandoned a child in India but took the twin.  “Baby Medhavi” is a case where a US intended parent did not take custody of the IVF child born in India. It begs the question, if a “non-genetic” parent has “equal parental rights” then should they also have equal responsibility and accountability of an abandoned child? Or is the PERFECT CRIME against a voiceless, innocent IVF child? Willful abandonment of an IVF child is a case of IVF terrorism against the innocent IVF child, the donor, the surrogate, and all other humans who work selflessly in IVF. It goes against the very being of us as a humanity. All of this may be “new” for most people but for innocent victims lost in the underbelly of IVF, it is an everyday reality.

Either way, the result is the same. You have a child who is stateless rendered in a legal limbo situation due to no fault of theirs. The intent however is different. In a DNA mismatch, its an “accident” while abandoning an innocent child is deliberate regardless of the circumstances. Even mothers who give up their child due to various different circumstances do so in a responsible way rather than abandoning the innocent child by the wayside and left in legal limbo. And how does one compare that to an IVF child being abandoned where the mother has nothing on the line – no egg, no womb, no sperm, is this a “baby making factory” with utter disregard for the innocent child, the compassionate donors and surrogate and all other human beings who wanted to help an infertile person? Just like abandoning child is criminal,  abandoning an IVF child is criminal, why will the system not act in the best interest of the child and protect the most vulnerable – an innocent, voiceless child?

Intent Vs. Accident : If a person kills someone intentionally, its murder while if they kill someone accidentally or even in self-defense, it is not as serious a charge. Is pre-meditated abandonment of an IVF child an intentional CRIME or is it an accident like DNA mismatch? Do innocent IVF children who are abandoned and treated as a “commodity” deserve justice? First, they are NOT discarded and it is the failure of the justice system to prosecute misintentioned people and denying justice to innocent IVF children which is treating them as “commodity”.  Get on the right side of history – black, interracial marriages, gay, transgender, intersex, immigrant, now its time for equal rights of IVF children and families. Say it, IVF and proud! Lies hurts others who are innocent and lies denies justice to innocent.