Australian parents abandon surrogate child with Down Syndrome | 60 Minutes Australia

baby gammy the seven-month-old twin doesn't know it yet but he's touched hearts around the world making headlines because he was abandoned in Thailand by his Australian parents his surrogate mother claimed his biological parents rejected him because he was born with Down syndrome taking home instead his healthy twin sister Piper it has made David and Wendy Farnell the most reviled couple in Australia revealing the very worst of commercial surrogacy what can happen when the baby you ordered is less than perfect and then as if their actions weren't bad enough further shocking news with the revelation that David is a convicted child sex offender as the outrage grew the couple went into hiding and that's where they've been till now tonight David and Wendy Farnell speak for the first time David and Wendy welcome to the program thank you why did you leave gammy behind we didn't leave him behind we we we wanted to bring him with this but things were happening that we couldn't we couldn't bring him what things were happening the surrogate mother wanted to take our girl we had to try would you know what to do we had no one to talk to it was fighting in the streets we just didn't know so if I'm understanding you correctly to save your daughter you gave her gammy is that right to save your daughter to keep your daughter to be bring it to Australia you gave the surrogate your son no no no no all of us walk our son but you yeah come back to Australia now we meet him early they give me every day yes yes we we just want to get our son bad but don't know how to reject the health who can help us you don't know how to do it so in the six months since your son was born who have you asked for help how have you tried to get him back what have you done to try to get him here anything yes we have we haven't asked directly but we've been trying to make sure first that Piper see do not be safe no one can take her away from us so we have been trying to do this for six months when we then know that she's 100% safe with us then we can go and try to get our boy back because everybody's saying that we don't recognize her because the shoes have not born in Australia he's not under our name so we're trying desperately to get her our name and to be recognised as we are the parents when did you learn that the surrogate mother was expecting twins very early in the pregnancy and what was your reaction to that news we were delighted we were over the moon that was like that was a lack of blessing we've been placed with a boy and a girl did you ever say to the surrogate mum that you're too old to look after twins no never never ever said that not feeling oh we still feel although I baby yeah your house yeah we have no power and no appetite the baby to a baby and when did you learn that there was a problem with the pregnancy that one of your children had Down syndrome that was late into the pregnancy that we we found yet that the boy had Down syndrome but at that stage it was too late to do anything they sent us sent us the results and they didn't do the tests early enough and if the tests had been done earlier and you discovered that your son had Down syndrome what would the action of being if it would have been safe for that embryo to have been terminated we probably would have terminated it and why is that because the the baby has a as a handicap and yeah this is yeah I said a sad thing and it would be difficult not impossible but difficult I guess it's a decision obviously a lot of people make are forced to make yeah but the bottom line is that you you don't want a son with a disability well I don't think any parent wants a son with a disability parents want their children to be healthy and and and you know happy and be able to do everything that every other children do so when your son is then born with this disability do you abandon him no no no we never abandoned him we never said to the surrogate mother to have an abortion we just said let's see how things go let's let's just keep your fingers crossed because there's always hope so so what were you hoping for what were your fingers crossed for the boy has got Down syndrome but there are different levels of Down syndrome so we're just hoping maybe it's just not that severe so you know we're not not we didn't give up on him and at the very beginning when we found out that the little boy had Down syndrome we said that we still wanted him and the agency in while we were in Australia we're still looking at what other options because when they gave us all these options and we were so angry with them about not telling us earlier and doing the tests earlier we were we were very confused at that time and we said that you know this is your fault you must now take some responsibility for this what action did you expect him to take I expected them that they would it would be a financial like okay then you give us give us back our money this is this is your fault the money that we've given you you give it back to us now you want to do money back that's but it's not it's not about the money we were scared we didn't know what to do we were we were in turmoil like all of a sudden we got this shock so in the meantime I don't know for sure but they must have gone back to the surrogate mother and said something maybe about the abortion I don't know but they had come back to us and said the surrogate mother wants this boy yep so we were thinking oh maybe maybe this might be okay I don't know why was it okay I think because I we were in Australia we'd never met the surrogate mother they were in Thailand it was a very like impersonal but not a lot of human contact when we got to the hospital in Soria two babies everything changed is the truth of it that you didn't want a baby with Down syndrome is the truth of it that it was easier to leave this baby with a surrogate mother who had decided to come up with a solution is that why it's difficult for you to answer [Music] seven month old baby gammy has become the innocent face of the dark side of commercial surrogacy of what can happen when couples don't get the baby they ordered when David and Wendy funell first heard one of their twins had Down syndrome they were angry they weren't told early enough to terminate the pregnancy and even wanted their money back when Gammy's Thai mother offered to keep the baby the surrogacy agency thought they'd found the solution his biological parents were demanding but David and Wendy say they never agreed to that do you accept that because you raised your concerns with the agency you told them you had an expectation that they would take responsibility for this that they understood that to mean that you didn't want your baby I know it sounds like that Wendy spoke to all most of the time I know it sounds very very heartless but if I never I I never I never met I never meant to hurt anybody like I can't really explain I can't I can't really put in words the way the agency the go-between woman describes it is that you said that there was this problem we have a problem and there was no solution to the problem until the surrogate mother said I will take the boy never agreed to that never we never agreed to that we said we want the both babies to be born and we will think about this we we never said you can have this baby well what were you thinking about what were you thinking about we were three what I was thinking about was we get there we need to become we need to get there and we need to have some human contact we can't just make decisions when we're thousands of miles away we haven't seen anybody which is talking which is talking on unfun on the internet yeah it seriously seriously you go into a surrogacy program you're not just making decisions these are your children of Isreal childrenís surely you had thought all that through before you come to this problem it's not impersonal it might be thousands of miles away but this is the most personal thing you can decide yes and you're telling me it didn't get personal for you until you got to the hospital it was personal we were so happy I mean do you understand why it's really difficult for people listening to you to understand yes I do I do so impersonally about the it's I I can I can I can understand your question I'm just finding it very difficult to get the to get the answer out because I'm so stressed at that time I mean can I just ease it is part of your difficulty David that what we're talking about that the truth at the heart of this is very unsavoury even for you to accept is that why it's difficult is the truth of it that you didn't order baby with dancing is the truth of it that it was easier to leave this baby with a surrogate mother who had decided to come up with a solution is that why it's difficult for you to answer no it's no it's not a difficult decision we wanted our babies how long have you guys been trying for children like what forced you to go to Thailand and to pursue this in the first place we've been trying IVF here in Australia for maybe eight years I was just getting so long and so expensive Wendy had almost given up until I saw a show on surrogacy on the TV I said when is this would be our last chance and what made you decide on Thailand Thai people are compassionate we've got quite a few Taif rends so we know the Thai people nice people did you compare Thailand to other places in terms of how you were protected legally what the protocols were what challenges you faced I mean did you go into it knowing any of that stuff we looked we the only research we could do was yeah on the internet and I admit we didn't do a lot of research but so we flew to Thailand a few times to just to look and talk and to meet where the weather the the clinics are just so we could actually see them for ourselves and they looked so clean and and professional that we thought you know we I think we'll be safe here did you ask the question about how much power the surrogate mother would have in terms of handing over your children no I didn't I didn't think to ask these questions I didn't I didn't know that these are the questions we should ask I guess your overwhelming emotion must be one of gratitude to somebody who would carry your babies for you to give you children yeah we were so blessed with her she was a young healthy girl had you met her before the birth of your children no we'd never met at the agency organized all of this yep and what was your relationship like with her at that time very good honestly she was a very loving singing yeah yeah she was a very nice person she was very caring because you can't stupid tie she can't speak English so we'll have no conversation at all yep you just look so smile at each other and yeah look at the babies just smile why do you think this surrogate mother has made these allegations against you why do you think she's gone public in this way I'm not sure we don't know what were you thinking she's nice person yeah do you accept that she believes that you did abandon your son then she had to look after him because he didn't want him no no no no even if she's wrong I mean do you accept that that she truly believes that no I don't believe that we did not abandon our son the surrogate mother is his her choice if she wants to give you the baby or not give you the baby no well then you have a surrogacy agreement it really doesn't mean anything it's up it's her decision yeah sorry good mother said that she wanted to keep that poor baby boy why did she wanna do I don't know we didn't you ask her we tried to ask and she goes that I just wanted to keep the baby boy why would a woman who has such little money make that choice to look after a baby that is not hers who has terrible health issues why would she make that choice why would you not want the healthy little girl you know Asian countries the boys are very looked up highly before we come back home from Thailand we ask her thanks please give us back can you police if we get our boy we want our boy back home say she's got very very angry because say our one thing is little boy he said if we are take a little boy she will help us awful okay so this this was before you left Thailand yes yes what did the doctors tell you about the health of of gammy beyond the Down syndrome what did they say his condition was I just said that he had Down syndrome he was in a serious serious condition and I they said they don't know how long he may survive mm-hmm what was his serious condition that was life-threatening do you know because I'm casing that his organs were his lungs were underdeveloped his organs were underdeveloped the same as a little girl I can't say so your children are there for a month and you're there for a month what what happens next wait where does once our little girl seems to be getting stronger we went to the embassy and ask them you know came what what's the procedure what what do we have to do our visas are getting close to running out we and we haven't started any paperwork so we were stressing about that and we just didn't know how long things would take right so because your visa was about to run out am i right you're you're preparing to go to take your daughter with you back to Australia yes even though your son was still in hospital yes to think that that perhaps one of you should have stayed and fought for your son how many times have you called to see how your son is David and Wendy Farnell chose to abandon baby gammy in Thailand and return home to Australia with his twin sister Piper they say they were forced to flee scared the surrogate mother was trying to keep both of their babies the funnels insist they miss gammy every day and they've been trying to get him back ever since but their actions speak louder than words she said that if we tried to take our little boy she's gonna get the place and she's gonna come and take our little girl take both of the babies and she's gonna keep both of the babies so you're just so stressed did you investigate that did you actually try to work out whether that was the truth I mean under Thai law could she do that really keep both babies hmm yeah then the the the nurse or the doctor at the hospital said it's she is the mother if she wants to give you a child she will give you a child if she doesn't want to she doesn't have to and you didn't question that further do we question which we didn't know who to ask did you contact the agency we tried to contact the agency and eventually they sent us a message to say that we suggest that you move hotels again and don't tell anybody where you are did they give you any other solutions did they tell you what your powers were what rights you had to your son no they told us nothing did you talk to the Australian Embassy about this no but you've already gone to them over your daughter yes why didn't you raise issue of your son with them because we're worried that we're gonna lose your daughter we have to get our daughter home and then we can do what we need to do did you think it that perhaps one of you should have stayed and fought for your son how feyza head was running out did you apply to extend it no I want to get back to Australia and go through the authorities so we could get our daughter so we'd know that she's safe but to this point you've not gone to the authorities at all to get your son not about our son no because your daughter is still not safe some of the claims made by the surrogate mother is that when you were in hospital with your children that you cared very much for your daughter but you didn't even look at your son Dean you never held him that you never bought milk for him we bought milk for both babies we bought nappies for both babies do you have photos of him kid not hit the photo in the hospital really did you ask to take photos no no we did ask the nurse said there was no you can note I said no yeah yeah did not go far without you in the hospital inside the hospital how many times have you been back in touch with the agency to find out about the health of your son to find out if you can get him back again how many times have you called but the agency's agency Bank is not not not anymore yeah it's closed down now because of the publicity over your case but prior to that how many times did you contact them we've contacted the the lady when we got back to Australia between you yeah yeah yeah yeah to send some money over there to look after our boy how much money did he send I can't remember how much it was a few thousand dollars to look after and so we can get back there then when were you telling on going back as soon as your daughter was safe then we have a plan the moment we are thought safe don't be a child go back that so you contacted the go-between once and sent money once yes how many times have you called to see how your son is we haven't you haven't no because we have never contact we've have a no surrogate mothers telephone number having nothing it is it has been very stressing we we miss our little boy I come home from work some days when he has has dressed a little girl all in blue because she wants still to remember little boy do you have any regrets about any of the things that you have done in terms of fighting for yourself all the things you haven't done in terms of fighting for your son yeah I have regrets that I don't think we did enough I have some regrets that we should have gone to the embassy and just told them everything but at that time we were just stressing that we're going to lose our little girl we needed our little girl to be home we needed her to be safe so once you were safe we could go back as soon as we got back to Australia I started making arrangements to get her safe you just I guess the the fear is or all the thought is that that while you focus so strongly on your daughter you have forgotten about your son we've never forgotten up here no no as a child sex offender what right do you have to have access to young children can you say categorically that as your baby daughter grows into a little girl that she will be safe okay from the outset Australians were horrified that David and Wendy Farnell would abandon their Down syndrome boy in Thailand but horror turned to revulsion when it was revealed that David is a repeat child sex offender date Finnell sexually abused for girls between the ages of five and ten over a period covering ten years at the time David was a father with three young children of his own he pleaded guilty to 18 of those offences and was tried and convicted on a further four charges now David fennel faces his past David turning to your past as a child sex offender as a convicted child sex offender what right do you have to have access to young children well I've been convicted of new child sex offenses and I hang my head in shame for that and I am particularly regretful that and I'm so so sorry to those people and it wasn't just one was it I mean it is people these people that you have to apologize to yes so yeah okay so yeah I was convicted and I went to jail and when I got out of jail I thought well I can run and hide and change my name and move to another another town but I thought no I need to face everybody and I can say yes I'm taking responsibility for what I did so I stayed I copped abuse I copped a lot of horrible things but I stay there and I faced it and I said that I will continue until I can hold my head up high again and I think that I've done that when did you learn to be remorseful because the judge at the time said that you showed no remorse and that through counseling you tried to minimize your crime well when did it hit you that you actually did do the wrong thing I think just seeing my children and thinking that if somebody had did that to my children I would be devastated but you had children when you did it didn't you I know I just didn't think of that I didn't look at the other side well in that time excuse me this when when did the sexual urges that you must have experienced to abuse five-year-old seven-year-old ten-year-old when did those sexual urges stop for you it was in prison through those counseling programs though they think that I may have minute minimalize them but I listen to everything that they were saying and have they stopped or do you just fight those urges now they have 100% stopped I don't have this urge to do anything anymore can you say categorically that is your baby daughter grows into a little girl that she will be safe in your care how do you know because I know I will do everything in mother world to protect my little girl I have no inclination of doing anything like this I don't have any thoughts about this ID law said the truth I just started to perceive truth so I've spoken to pedophiles in the past who say they will always be pitiful they can't control they can't stop it I cannot do this again I can't do this I know that I do not have any vouchers at all of this nature for 30 years I've known this like like I don't have any edges Wendy yeah how concerned are you about the safety of your daughter in the care of your husband I 100% trust David do not do any wrong thing for the little girl then even he have three children before they all love him mr. pair him so much they I said they I said he is the wonderful wonderful father of of them did you know about his pedophile past when you married him yes yes I was thinking she can he can tell me this he's a past I think he is not a bad person I think she is the really good husband very very good father and very very good son since I marry him so long I can say it is is there any way that your form you described as your former but you'll form a predilection for girls mm-hmm did that in any way influenced you in choosing your daughter over your son no no there is nothing like that that never even entered my head until you mentioned that that is never ever I've never even thought or something like that I'm actually ashamed that you would say something like that you're ashamed that I would say something like that no it's just like your father I'm I've done everything I possibly can to show everybody that look this this this is this is me if you if I have a go at me have a go at me but I'm I've tried so hard to be to be a good person um contributing and I I don't know what else so to just just yes to say that I am I am NOT this person yeah okay um I don't I'm just meaning up liver let's never entered my I hate at all do you understand why people are concerned I can understand why people are concerned yes but honestly there is no reason to be concerned I'm a little i 100% believe him 100% what is it like for you both to be vilified the way you have been I mean people would do would you agree people would consider you the most hated couple in Australia at the moment yeah I can understand that for one thinking that we have abandoned a little boy was a terrible thing but and then to have me as a sex offender everybody hates sex offenders they are the lowest form of people not even worthy of breathing I know that that's why I've tried so hard and want it to be a good father for my children so that these the people if people can see that I'm a good person yeah because I did this bad thing a long time ago I don't mean to kick you while you down but it wasn't just one bad thing you groomed young girls you abused them in your home in your back shape throw very young girls and it went over a number of years you're on their lives you took away their childhoods yeah I guess I deserve I deserve everything I get my family doesn't deserve that but if you want to hurt me yeah help me what yeah I deserve it I'm not trying to hurt you fine I'm just trying to voice what I think people are concerned about and that is the safety of your daughter yeah do you think that is there any risk that your daughter will be taken away from you has anybody talked to you about that I I hope to god if she does if they think they get out of their lives hello I'm Tara Brown thanks for watching to keep up with the latest from 60 minutes Australia make sure you subscribe to our Channel you can also download the 9 now app for full episodes and other exclusive 60 minutes content

Channel: 60 Minutes Australia

Views: 2,097,537

Rating: 3.2190657 out of 5

Keywords: 60 Minutes, 60 Minutes Australia, Liz Hayes, Charles Wooley, Tara Brown, Liam, Bartlett, Allison Langdon, Tom Steinfort, Down Syndrome, Gammy, baby, Grammy, Thailand, surrogacy, parents, David and Wendy Farnell

Id: 7yx9C5E3_Co

Length: 39min 23sec (2363 seconds)

Published: Tue Oct 16 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/IceCreaaams]

He falls back on racism to defend their actions.

The reporter asks them why would this young broke woman want to take their boy with Down syndrome, and not the healthy girl. And he says "in asian cultures, the boys are regarded (highly)" or something along those lines. And that disgusting Asian woman nods in agreement.

When talking about his child sex convictions, the woman says "it's ok, it's the past" in her broken English.

Shoot both of them in the head.

Her name is Wendy too. lol.

Is she Chinese or Korean?

[u/Fedupandhangry]

I think these two are going to be the new face of toxic WMAF relationships from now on. It's almost too stereotypical.

[u/aleastory]

Man, how fucking messed up do you need to be to pull this kind of shit? Seriously, shame on them.

[u/[deleted]]

My god, what’s wrong with these people?

[u/The_Dynasty_Warrior]

It's funny that it's their disgusting genes that bought this poor kid into their disgusting life

[u/legunner94]

Seven month old twin, baby Gammy, made headlines around the world when he was abandoned in Thailand by his Australian parents. His surrogate mother claimed his biological parents rejected him because he was born with Down Syndrome, taking home instead his healthy twin sister, Pipah. It made David and Wendy Farnell the most reviled couple in Australia. And then, as if their actions weren’t bad enough, the shocking news with the revelation David is a convicted child sex offender.

Wikipedia

[u/5inisterWolf]

Their lawyer(s) totally coached them, and possibly were involved in their appearance on the show. I guarantee you they have some sort of legal council or other guidance. Appearing on 60 mins is a chess move on the part of this couple. This is a play for sympathy from a public that is rightfully looking at them with disgust.

[u/aznidthrow]

I would post this to /r/iamatotalpieceofshit or /r/Documentaries and any other relevant subs. This is the kind of material that can subtly help our message because it is not as blatant as some of our other stuff.

I wonder what their marriage is founded on. The woman can barely speak English how do they communicate?

WHAT THE FUCK THIS DUDE IS A CONVICTED CHILD SEX OFFENDER TOO?

[u/hotasianman]

The guy has 22 child sex convictions

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2717364/Australian-parents-Gammy-met-Chinese-mail-order-bride-agency.html