What is the Greece Surrogacy Scandal?
Greece, a country previously known for its liberal stance on commercial surrogacy for international clients has sadly been engulfed in a surrogacy scandal. As the story broke, reports suggest an alleged criminal organisation engaged in human trafficking and illegal adoptions, shaking the foundations of the surrogacy world.
So far, it appears dozens of intended parents – predominantly Australian couples – have been affected by various concerning allegations. Eight members of staff at Crete’s Mediterranean Fertility Institute have been arrested and subsequently charged with human trafficking, illegal adoption, purchase and sale of genetic material, falsification of medical file data for the purpose of selling genetic material, forgery, false medical certificates, fictitious marriages and fraud. Children who have been born from the clinic are under police guard, and all of the egg, sperm and embryos that were still under the care of the clinic are now under the control of Greek authorities.
Intended parents and parents who have already had their children via surrogacy at this particular Crete clinic are left with many questions. Legal paperwork which states who the intended parents are has gone missing and there are concerns about whether some couples have been given children who are not genetically related to them or are not from the egg or sperm donors chosen by the intended parent.
At My Surrogacy Journey we are shocked and saddened by this news and we urge anyone affected by this scandal to contact us directly. Domestic and International Surrogacy lacks tailored and balanced support. So we decided to change it, starting with My Surrogacy Journey. My Surrogacy Journey is committed to providing support and advice about how to navigate a surrogacy journey whether that may be in your own home country, or internationally. We provide an extensive educational document library covering all aspects of the journey, which goes beyond the birth, and will ensure that all parties are medically, emotionally and legally informed.
Michael Johnson-Ellis
Hi everyone, So I’m Mike, guess I’m the crazy one who had the idea to sell our souls to Social Media and open up our world for everyone to comment on and observe our lives. I spend most nights (when not with Talulah and Duke obviously) with my phone glued to my hand, posting, sharing, liking and filming - all in readiness for Facebook, Insta and now YouTube. It’s getting to be a full time job, which is tricky - as I have one of those! For the last 18 years I have worked within Medical Recruitment and have worked in a variety of high pressured Operational and Business Development roles in London and the Midlands. More recently I am working for myself as it gives me greater flexibility with our new family via my Consultancy firm MJE Consultancy Ltd, where I attract and recruit Fertility Nurses, Embryologists and IVF Consultants and other specialist Doctors, as the Fertility Industry is my passion. I’m obviously one half of TwoDads.U.K and very proud of that fact too, and without doubt being a father is and has been the best job I’ve ever had. Nothing prepares you for the impact these little humans have on us, I know if you’re anything like me, the joy of being a parent just keeps on giving (whilst equally testing me too!). Don’t get me wrong, there’s days where I want to sit on the garage floor and drown myself in Gin but on the whole, life is better than it ever has been...
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