After undergoing expensive procedures, a Quebec couple began crying from the heart to expand their family with the help of a surrogate from New Brunswick, which was not on the list of Canadian provinces recently recognized by the Legault government.
• Read more: Surrogates: Quebecers can use women from other Canadian provinces
• Read more: Surrogate mothers: Quebec doesn’t want to promote “baby factories”.
Patrick Garron and his partner are asking Quebec to allow them to complete a surrogacy process that began with a New Brunswick woman who agreed to carry their second child. They have also sent a letter to Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrett.
“It’s the desire to start a family, it’s the desire to give our first child siblings, it’s to fulfill oneself as a man, to fulfill oneself as a family,” the 41-year-old says in an interview. He struggles to control his emotions.
A law now regulates the use of surrogates in Quebec. Starting June 6, a surrogate can carry out a pregnancy with the help of a woman from Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. But not from New Brunswick. They never suspected that the government would alienate the Maritime Province before investing nearly $60,000 in the adventure.
The two have taken steps to expand their family in December 2022, ahead of Quebec’s adoption of the law.
“A Good Story”
Already parents of a three-and-a-half-year-old girl from a New Brunswick surrogate, their first experience was a success. “It’s a really beautiful story,” explains Patrick Caron, a Toronto agency specializing in surrogacy that matches intended parents with women who agree to carry someone else’s pregnancy.
The very expensive process is overseen by lawyers and an agreement is signed between the parties before starting fertility treatment. Surrogate mothers are not paid, but pregnancy-related expenses and associated loss of income are borne by the intended parents. Costs often exceed the $100,000 mark.
A rare pearl
But the couple’s second plan took longer, as surrogates are not ordinary, and electricity must flow between the woman called to carry the child and the parents. After six unsuccessful matches, Patrick Garron and her husband found a rare gem, a surrogate mother from New Brunswick a few months ago.
“There are two lawyers on file, a contract, we have eight mortgage loans, we have a surrogate, with whom things are going well, she is a good partner. They came to Montreal, we met her husband, her family, pleads Patrick Caron, his voice trembling. .I hope someone says we can [nous] Give the opportunity to complete this plan, as changing the surrogate involves additional costs […]It was a long process, a lot of emotions…”
In particular, the couple and those involved in the case were very surprised when Quebec excluded New Brunswick from jurisdictions that allowed the use of surrogacy services.
Mr. Caron insists. According to him, we certainly cannot compare what is happening in countries like India or Colombia to the Maritime Province.
The Ministry of Justice insists that the government can take into account any criteria, such as the uniformity of Quebec’s rules, to choose its option. It noted that “New Brunswick does not provide any legal framework for surrogacy, so this state is not designated.”
