Irish man, Nicky Leonard Beard (32) and his Kiwi husband David Beard (41) are trapped in a standoff with a Mexican adoption agency after the births of their three babies, Lachlan, Kelly and Blake by two surrogate mothers.
Mexico has recently tightened its surrogacy laws and the couple who are based in Auckland are among the last couple to avail of Mexican surrogates to start their family.
The couple had travelled to Villahermosa in Tabasco, Mexico to meet their babies when the case became complicated. They paid a sum of money to cover medical bills, legal costs, and surrogate care, after which, they maintain, the Cancun adoption agency disappeared.
The two surrogates were pregnant at the time that the laws regarding surrogacy changed, and the Beards were assured that they would be permitted to bring their children home without difficulty however now they are forced to appeal to both the Mexican and New Zealand government to help them bring their children home.
“We totally planned this out, but now it’s going to cost us a fortune to get home,” David, a highly regarded lawyer, told the New Zealand media.
The couple has now enlisted the help of Debbie Dunbar, a family lawyer based in New Zealand, to help navigate the treacherous bureaucratic waters and bring their family home.
They are also petitioning the New Zealand immigration minister to issue their children with New Zealand passports to expedite the process rather than wait for the Mexican government to issue Mexican passports.
“David, Nicky, Lachlan, Blake and Kelly simply want to come home to their family,” said the couple’s statement.
