The Down’s syndrome surrogacy story is horrible. But Britain has no right to sneer

To look on the heartwarming side, Australians have shown that they are rather more humane as a nation than the anonymous couple in the news for allegedly discarding one of the twins borne for them by a Thai surrogate six months ago. Scores of Australians have volunteered to adopt Gammy, the Down’s syndrome baby that was commissioned from Pattaramon Chanbua by an Australian couple only to be abandoned by his parents when they discovered his condition; they took  his healthy twin sister though (and the couple now deny knowledge of Gammy). The fund to pay for the baby’s medical treatment, generously funded by Australians, now stands at more than $180,000.

The other party to come well out of it is obviously the unfortunate surrogate mother, Pattaramon Chanbua, who declined to abort the baby when its condition was discovered at four months’ gestation. She says she loves the baby as her own, as you would, having carried it.