Family Is Fighting To Adopt Their Own Twins, Born Via Surrogate: 'They're Trying To Tear Us Apart'

Nov 20, 2021 by apost team

In 2021, babies are brought into the world through many different means. With options like IVF and surrogacy, there are more chances for families who face infertility to have children than ever before. One couple, Tammy and Jordan Myers from Grand Rapids, Michigan, used a gestational carrier to give birth to their biological children while Tammy was being treated for breast cancer. 

Everything seemed to be going perfectly until outdated laws surrounding surrogacy in the state of Michigan forced the Myers to fight to adopt their own twins. The law is the 1988 Surrogacy Parenting Act which makes compensation for surrogate mothers illegal and any agreement between the surrogate and family is not admissible in court.

In the Myers' case, their gestational carrier, who is a friend of a friend, was not compensated at all and agreed to carry the babies as a gift to the family. However, the state of Michigan still maintains that they have to legally adopt the children.

By design, adoption is not a simple process. There are mental evaluations, home inspections, letters of recommendation, among other obstacles that stand in the way of Tammy and Jordan gaining custody of their twins. Jordan even tried to obtain his paternal rights to the children, but this was denied in favor of the surrogacy law. 

The parents have described the process as being put through hell. But, fortunately, their gestational carrier Lauren has been supportive the entire time, and the babies have been living in their home since being released from the hospital. A hearing in November 2021 named Tammy and Jordan as the legal guardians of their twins Ellison and Eames. Read on to learn more about Tammy and Jordan's fight for custody of their children.

Tammy claimed it was shattering to learn they would not be named the parents of their children until they were legally adopted. She said, "I'd already been through cancer and fought for my life and was finally moving on. I would carry my own children if I had the chance. I wasn't choosing not to carry."

The mother shared that she and Jordan had no clue this fight was coming ahead of time. "We knew there would be paperwork involved, but we had no idea it would be a legal battle for the rights of our babies. I'm almost thankful we didn't know. I'm not sure we would have gone this route. But nothing could take away the blessing we have in our lives. We've opened the door to the injustice happening because of this outdated law," said Tammy.

Tammy gave an explanation of the history of the law. She explained, "Michigan's current surrogacy law was passed in the 1980s as a reaction to the Baby M case, where a traditional surrogate who was biologically linked to the baby changed her mind about giving the child to the intended parents. She fled across the country with the child and spurred headlines, with the nation watching in horror."

Tammy continued, "But the Baby M case is nothing like surrogacy today or the gestational carrier process, which is where the carrier has no genetic link to the baby."

Jordan summed up the situation by saying, "The whole point of family law is to keep families together. We are a family. They are our biological children. There's no denying that. Yet they're trying to tear us apart."

As of November 2021, the Myers are legally the parents of their twin babies.

apost.com

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