Abortion is one of the heaviest and most highly controversial topics out there. Mix it with a conflict between a surrogate and the biological parents, and you have a war for the ages.
In 2011, 29-year-old Crystal Kelley sat with two parents of 3 kids on a playground in Vernon, Connecticut, convinced that they were perfect candidates. This single and struggling mom had been searching for individuals who wanted to pay her to carry their baby.
At the beginning of the surrogacy process, everyone was ecstatic. However, tragic news would barge into their lives, leading to a series of dramatic events, only to be seen in the movies.
Surrogate Crystal Kelley holding the baby she gave birth to [left]; Crystal Kelley [right]. │Source: Detroit | Channel 7
A BOMBSHELL STRIKES
That beautiful day on the playground soon faded into a faint memory, now filled with pain. Doctors, five months into the pregnancy, revealed devastating news to the parents and the surrogate. Kelley recollected:
"They said she had less than a 25% chance of being able to have a normal life."
The baby girl was diagnosed with severe medical conditions affecting her heart and brain, along with a cleft palate. The parents asked the surrogate if she would have an abortion, worried about the child's suffering post-birth. However, with Kelley's religious convictions, a feud ensued.
Ultrasound of the fetus.│Source: Detroit | Channel 7
HOW MUCH EXACTLY?
The 29-year-old and financially struggling single mom admitted that she did consider aborting at one stage. This contemplation came about when she told the parents she might do so if they paid her $15,000. However, in the end, she felt guilty and stood firm in her beliefs, stressing:
"I told them that they had chosen me to carry and protect this child, and that was exactly what I was going to do. I told them it wasn't their decision to play God."
Eventually, this tense conflict led to an all-out legal battle between the two parties. At one point, the biological parents said the baby could be born but would be handed over to the state. Unsatisfied and deep in her pregnancy, Kelley chose to run.
A pregnant Crystal Kelley. │Source: Detroit | Channel 7
GOING HER WAY
The mom secretly found her way to Michigan, where she was seen as the legal mother of the unborn child, and began looking for adoptive parents, which she eventually found. The baby girl was born in June of 2012. The surrogate expressed:
"It gives me a lot of joy and I know that everything was worth it."
The newborn's issues were more serious than the doctors predicted before birth. If the little girl did make it through all the hurdles ahead, there would be a 50% chance that she may not have various motor skills such as walking and talking.
SAINT, SINNER, OR A BIT OF BOTH?
A lot of individuals have questioned the morality of Kelley's decision. Many have been unimpressed that she almost decided to abort due to a large sum of money.
Do you think this single mother did the right thing by ignoring the biological parent's request for abortion? Do you find that she almost terminated the baby for $15,000 disconcerting, or do you think her financial woes justify this? Lastly, what do you feel you would do if you were in Kelley's shoes?
