Mahaz News
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A Spanish TV actress has sparked controversy after utilizing a surrogate to meet what she says was the ultimate want of her useless son: to have a baby.
Ana Obregón introduced the beginning in a canopy story for Hola! journal printed earlier in April, detailing how she used sperm samples from son Aless, who died of most cancers in 2020 on the age of 27, to impregnate a surrogate mom.
Obregón – a 68-year-old socialite who’s married to Italian aristocrat Alessandro Lequio – has lengthy been a fixture on Spanish tv, and is finest identified for showing in collection reminiscent of “A las once en casa.”
Such was the curiosity within the youngster in Spain that one other journal, Letras, tracked down the surrogate – a girl of Cuban origin that lives in Florida – and splashed images of her on its entrance web page.
The story has sparked each authorized and moral debate in Spain, the place surrogacy is illegitimate and sperm samples can solely be used to impregnate a widowed companion inside 12 months of the donor’s loss of life with their express permission.
Obregón instructed Hola! that the newborn, Ana Sandra Lequio Obregón, was born on March 20 in Miami and could have a US passport. She might be registered on the Spanish consulate in Miami earlier than flying house to Spain, added Obregón.
Some have questioned whether or not Obregón ought to have the ability to carry a child born by way of a technique unlawful beneath Spanish legislation into the nation.
But the actress says she has paperwork proving that she is legally acknowledged because the child’s mom within the United States, and adopting a baby born overseas is authorized in Spain.
While some consultants say the legalities of the state of affairs are unclear, many authorized commentators have stated she is unlikely to face any authorized points upon returning house.
However the case has additionally raised ethical questions over surrogacy. Spanish legislation considers the apply “a form of violence against women.”
Others have questioned Obregon’s declare that she was fulfilling her son’s dying want.
“It seems questionable to me that the wishes of the deceased would have been for his sperm to be used to impregnate an egg in the body of a woman in another country,” stated philosophy professor Gonzalo Velasco in an interview with radio station Cadena Ser.
“It seems quite convoluted,” he added, likening the developments to a narrative by horror writer Stephen King or melodramatic Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar.
Verónica Fumanal, president of Spain’s Association of Political Communication (ACOP) stated the announcement made her consider the dystopian TV collection “Black Mirror.”
“She bought herself a grandaughter with sperm from her dead son,” stated Fumanal in an interview with Cadena Ser, who questioned the best way by which Obregón had publicized the newborn’s beginning.
“She put a camera in her face and sold the exclusive,” stated Fumanal.
Obregón has sought to dampen the controversy, calling the controversy in Spain “absurd” as a result of surrogacy is authorized in lots of international locations world wide.
Spain is one in every of many international locations the place surrogacy is illegitimate, and in others, such because the United Kingdom, surrogacy is authorized however restricted.
These restrictions, along with excessive prices and a scarcity of surrogates, encourage UK {couples} to search for a surrogate overseas, together with within the US, the place the method is extra easy.
Obregón instructed Hola! that surrogacy is “very normalized” within the US and that there isn’t any debate like there’s in Spain.
She additionally revealed how child Ana suits into her household.
“This girl isn’t my daughter, but my grandaughter,” she instructed Hola! “She is Aless’ daughter and when she grows up I will tell her that her father was a hero.”
Obregón additionally stated that Aless at all times wished an enormous household, and didn’t rule out repeating the method in order that Ana may have a brother or sister.
But subsequent on the agenda is the discharge of a ebook which tells the story of the surrogacy, scheduled for publication on April 19.
Mahaz News has contacted representatives of each Ana Obregón and her husband Alessandro Lequio for remark.
Source web site: www.cnn.com
