San Jose Couple Stuck In Mexico After Surrogate Gives Birth To Son
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) – Trapped in Mexico for weeks, a San Jose family said the government won't let them bring their new baby home.
Haseeb and Christy Amireh have been stuck living in hotel after hotel in the state of Tabasco in Mexico with their newborn son Grayson.
"We just want to get home," Christy told KPIX 5 via Skype.
But Grayson has no birth certificate, so he can't get a passport to fly home.
"There are still agencies taking intended parents, like us, so we would like to get the word out," Haseeb said.
Unable to have children, the San Jose couple turned to surrogacy. It's legal and more affordable in Tabasco, and surrogacy agencies are everywhere.
The couple was with the surrogate during the birth, but their magical experience quickly turned into desperation.
"It seems like time just kept passing, and the next day, and the next day, and next day, no birth certificate. And we started panicking," Christy said.
Their friends back home in the Bay Area feel helpless.
"The week of the birth, all certificates for surrogacy was pulled, no rhyme or reason," said Bobby Khuller, a family friend.
Congressman Eric Swalwell told KPIX 5, "From what we learned, the governor in that state has put a moratorium on all birth certificates for surrogate families. I think this highlights why it's really important to understand the laws of any country you are traveling to, to make a healthcare decision."
Stephanie Caballero of the Surrogacy Law Center in Southern California said she wasn't surprised. "Mexico does not have the systems in place like the U.S. If they say their law is a law, it may or may not be the law," Caballero said. "Bribery is not that uncommon there, look at the cartels."
Haseeb and Christy say they won't leave the country until Grayson is with them. That means their jobs and life are on hold.
The couple has set up a GoFundMe site for the public to make donations:
http://www.gofundme.com/babygrayson2015
The couple is also working with a lawyer in Mexico and they have been in contact with the U.S. State Department.