In a book I read a couple of years ago, I found the opinion that the ethical and moral development of our society has catastrophically lagged behind technological progress. We can do amazing, fantastic things, but our attitudes toward them remain largely outdated and patriarchal.
We've created artificial intelligence, but we don't know if it can be considered a fully-fledged person. IVF and surrogacy have long been a reality in our society, but gamete donors still often consider themselves the “true” parents. So, today's story, from the user u/carmanthecar, only confirms this experience.
More info: Reddit
IVF has become a true salvation for many families across the world nowadays, but it also raises many ethical issues
Image credits: Michael T / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The author of the post and her wife always wanted to have a baby, but the spouse turned out to be infertile, and the author herself has a medical condition that makes it dangerous for her health
Image credits: carmanthecar
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The author's mother-in-law suggested that her son could be the donor - in order to "get family genes passed on"
Image credits: carmanthecar
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
So they did - the man signed all the papers, and nine months later, the author's wife gave birth to a healthy boy
Image credits: carmanthecar
Image credits: DC Studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
But then the man claimed he considers the boy his son, despite all the papers and the author's objections
Image credits: carmanthecar
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The author ended up having a huge fight with him and literally kicked him out
Image credits: carmanthecar
Some of the man's relatives sided with him - and now the family is literally torn apart
So, the Original Poster (OP) and her wife had long wanted a child, but several factors complicated matters. Firstly, the author's wife discovered she was infertile. Secondly, our heroine herself has serious medical concerns about pregnancy and childbirth. Finally, almost the entire wife’s family was vehemently opposed to the idea of adoption.
The only remaining option was IVF, with the OP's wife carrying the child. And then her mother (the author's mother-in-law) suggested that her son be the male donor - so that "the family could get their genes 'passed on.'" Please don't ask me about the moral and ethical side of the matter - from a biological standpoint, everything should’ve been fine, since the egg was planned to be taken from the author.
So, that's what they did. The OP's brother-in-law signed all the necessary papers waiving all claims to paternity, and nine months later, the author's wife gave birth to a healthy and wonderful boy. The parents were completely happy, but then another problem arose.
One day, while talking to her brother-in-law, our heroine heard him say that he considered the newborn his son anyway. The author clarified that legally he was an uncle and nothing more, but he refuted everything she said and repeated that the baby was technically "their son."
The author went berserk and literally kicked him out of their home, and her wife completely agreed. However, that same evening, the original poster received a call from her sister-in-law, her wife's sis, who lashed out with criticism and insults, defending her brother. Now the family is literally torn apart, and the OP and her wife have effectively cut all ties with those relatives...
Image credits: Curated Lifestyle / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
This situation raises two complexities: ethical and genetic. While from a medical perspective, using the gametes of the pregnant woman's brother, if the egg is taken from another woman, poses no risks to the baby's health (modern research confirms this), the ethical question remains open.
For example, a similar situation a quarter of a century ago in France nearly led to a lawsuit and the siblings being accused of blatantly disregarding social norms. However, modern law in most countries clearly states that if all the proper paperwork is signed, the donor is not legally considered a parent.
To prevent possible mental health complications, most clinics providing IVF have a system of counseling with psychoanalysts and lawyers. According to the original poster, all three participants in this case took part in counseling and therapy to ensure there would be no future claims. As we can see, all these procedures were quite ineffective...
Many commenters under the original post were quite surprised by the bizarre nature of the situation, but everyone clearly agreed with the original poster and her wife. Apparently, the responders believe that things turned out to be much more difficult for the man than he had previously anticipated, but the process can no longer be reversed. So what’s your point of view regarding this story?
Most commenters gave the author their support, claiming that the brother-in-law was acting unreasonably here
