Surrogate's Death Triggers Baby Custody Battle | New Amsterdam

Surrogate's passing sparks custody feud over newborn baby boy.
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Season 01, Episode 18, Five Miles West,
Reynolds (Jocko Sims) struggles to help a young Cystic Fibrosis patient (Guest Star Lilly Knowles) with curious symptoms while Kapoor (Anupam Kher) finally comes face to face with Ella (Guest Star Dierdre Friel) after their awkward encounter. Meanwhile, Sharpe (Freema Agyeman) takes a major step in her personal life. Also starring Ryan Eggold as Max Goodwin, Janet Montgomery as Lauren Bloom and Tyler Labine as Iggy Fromme. Also guest starring Nana Mensah as Dr. Camilla Candelario, Alejandro Hernandez as Casey, Sendhil Ramamurthy as Dr. Akash Panthaki, Judith Ivey as Dr. Virginia Stauton, Zack Robidas as Michaela Archer.
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ABOUT NEW AMSTERDAM
In the wake of the ambulance crash that ended Season 1, medical director Dr. Max Goodwin grieves the death of his wife, Georgia, and learns the difficulties of being a single parent - all the while continuing his commitment to solve systemic health care issues at the hospital. Add in his new responsibilities as a father and with cancer still lingering in the rearview mirror, everyone around Max must wonder how long he can sustain this impossible load. But "How can I help?" is not just Max's catchphrase, it's his reason for living. As long as he's helping others, Max is able to find hope in the most hopeless of places. The cast includes Ryan Eggold, Janet Montgomery, Freema Agyeman and Jocko Sims, with Tyler Labine and Anupam Kher.
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ABOUT NEW AMSTERDAM
In the wake of the ambulance crash that ended Season 1, medical director Dr. Max Goodwin grieves the death of his wife, Georgia, and learns the difficulties of being a single parent - all the while continuing his commitment to solve systemic health care issues at the hospital. Add in his new responsibilities as a father and with cancer still lingering in the rearview mirror, everyone around Max must wonder how long he can sustain this impossible load. But "How can I help?" is not just Max's catchphrase, it's his reason for living. As long as he's helping others, Max is able to find hope in the most hopeless of places. The cast includes Ryan Eggold, Janet Montgomery, Freema Agyeman and Jocko Sims, with Tyler Labine and Anupam Kher.
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[@shootingcomet082]

The fact that the parents had no idea that Lynn was a surrogate or that this guy was her best friend, leads me to believe that they weren't that close with their daughter and maybe weren't that great of parents after all.

[@JP-ks7ey]

you know watching this i couldn't help but think that.

[@firstloveacrossthesea5835]

Right?! Like wouldn’t you and your kid have this, “I’m acting as a surrogate- no, it’s not my egg, I’m not using my DNA, just my uterus” conversation? When was the last time they saw/talk? It’s exactly like what you said.

[@shootingcomet082]

@@firstloveacrossthesea5835 Yeah, they knew she was pregnant but not that the kid wasn't hers. It seems weird.

[@YujiRoyomen]

@@firstloveacrossthesea5835 It probably was years, since I think they've been best friends for years because you don't just get pregnant for your best friend that you've been friends with for a few months. They didn't know who he was...did she just not bring her supposed BEST FRIEND around her family or have they not talked to their daughter for years?

[@catherinerobilliard7662]

Daughters can meet the wrong man, a narcissist who manipulates and estranges daughter from parents. It can take immense courage for parents to speak of rejection by a child because most people make assumptions they’re the guilty party and they feel bewildered, distraught and ashamed. Estrangement of adult child to parents is far more common than many people realise. This is fiction. Most surrogates are trafficked women. Estrangement is real.

[@teztheis3654]

Why are they putting pressure on the bio father to give up his claim and not the parents who didn't even know the baby existed?

[@lucindamobley5492]

It was a purely emotional response. I do think that it was a completely stupid move because they were running a big risk of not only losing their daughter and the baby, but of hurting this little boy by taking him away from a father who loves him. They should have at least talked to the father first if only for them to come up with a plan for them to be in this child's life. That would not have been a bad thing at all but they let their grief at losing their daughter get the best of them.

[@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022]

Probably because the "grandparents" are selfish people who never would have heard the proposal anyways. The only way for the child to avoid foster care (if the mother never wakes up) would have been for the father to give up.

[@bunnyrabi]

Luckily in real life, a court wouldn't put a child in foster care like that lol. This is all for dramatics. In real life foster care is if nothing else works and most likely they would give the child to bio dad, especially if courts in other states have ruled in such a way. Courts follow common laws and case laws to use as guidance to make decisions, in most laws the bio parent almost always gets custody unless seen as unfit in some way.

[@dianeharris349]

This is what gets me, Lynn was not the egg donor, which makes the child no genetic relation to them at all. The father IS the biological father, and yet, he can't take his child home. A contract is a contract. This episode made no sense

[@pisces2569]

Not all contracts are legally binding

[@bautistalover]

@@pisces2569but they should be especially after money changes hands.

[@AvaGeving]

lol so the contract wasn’t valid also they have different kinds of surrogates

[@tarnw3301]

Babies ain't for selling. That woman wanting to profit out of a baby was disgusting, but so was the man.

[@missingbobsburgers]

Laws have not caught up to technology.

[@lunamoonracer8899]

If the biological mother is incapacitated, wouldn't custody automatically go to the biological father? I'm so confused.

[@TurtwigGirl]

I think the problem is that they are not legally married, and can’t recognize the surrogacy documents as valid, so *technically* they can’t be “sure” he is actually the biological father without further testing and evidence.

[@ebayrose]

It should but New York had complicated laws regarding surrogacy at the time. The fact that the dad had a surrogacy contract and paid the gestational mother put those laws into effect.

[@adeletaylor6143]

I wonder if it would have been more straightforward if he said they had a one night stand and not mentioned the contract?

[@ebayrose]

@@adeletaylor6143 It would have but, if she's not the bio mom the blood types might have shown that plus if they passed her off as mom them if she does recover she's now a legal parent.

[@Joce-bl7qi]

@lunamoonracer8899 That’s the point - she is not the biological mother. The egg is not hers and the sperm was from the Dad shown/present.

[@malmal3003]

None of this was touching. Lynn’s parents are cruel and clearly not a part of her life if THEY DIDN’T KNOW SHE WAS PREGNANT I’ve seen these swoop in at the last minute to disrupters get on my nerves. The person’s wish are clearly stated.

[@piinkam0r]

Exactly they didn’t know she was pregnant this whole time 🙃 suddenly pop up

[@TheMormonSorceress]

It's because of New York's law in that movie.

[@ShadeKoopa]

New York law. Contract is null and void since they are OUTSIDE of New Jersey. When a court of law comes into play, emotions take a back seat. People are just another number. Simple as that.

[@dominiquealisemerlano2590]

The court system is broken that they think sending the baby to foster care instead of choosing someone who loves and cares for him. Makes me angry beyond belief. This broke me i was so thrilled that the father got his baby after all but in most cases like this thats not the case.

[@tymac9127]

Like it's really sad they're not protecting the kids💔

[@graceadamson1493]

The court system is broken in the UK too

[@graceadamson1493]

Happens in the UK it happens anywhere really

[@foolslayer9416]

@@graceadamson1493 It's because laws are built on convenience, not what is right.

[@Kekeliz]

Yeah I don’t get how that’s even a law in wat world does that make sense to send the baby away when there’s two fit parties who r ready and will to love and care for the baby if I was the judge I would’ve ruled at least 50/50 till they could decide who gets full custody somethin better than that bs

[@lemonadelemon1960]

How do you tell your not-grandson that he did have a dad who loved him but you won custody on a technicality

[@tarnw3301]

That man abused your mother's vulnerable state and convinced her to go into a dangerous procedure. We love you, but we won't forgive the murderer of our daughter.

[@lemonadelemon1960]

@@tarnw3301 Abused? Venerable? Murder? Ok so asinine claims and blatant lies, then.

[@victoriajenkins1424]

Sounds like someone is bringing their own trauma to the table. “We love you.”

[@Kels42]

⁠@@tarnw3301they were best friends. She wanted to help him have a child. She wasn’t vulnerable and he never abused her. He is the one who made her go get checked out when she was having problems and said she was fine. He tried to help her.

[@amsaric]

@@tarnw3301that’s such gaslighting and manipulation. Keep those parents away from children.

[@amandafranks8400]

The laws need to change. He is the biological father, ready and prepared to care and love for a newborn, but the idiot grandparents have more claim? Just absolutely ridiculous.

[@deathlt9623]

it’s not that, both of them don’t have any claim that’s why they had to go to court. New York said they can’t establish guardianship with grandparents or custody with dad due to laws. There’s custody and then established custody

[@tarnw3301]

Baby buyer should have been taken to jail.

[@gigiitsme7236]

They realized no matter if their daughter carried the baby.. baby will never be biologically related to them. The biological mother could fight it instead

[@ChristophProbst]

This isn't based on real life laws. The biological father would very likely prevail in a real court.

[@AllThePeppermint]

What's absolutely ridiculous is they didn't do any kind of DNA tests for paternity. Dad's parental rights trump any desire the grandparents may have to the child, because the grandparents didn't make the child.

[@crazyd0glady295]

Question. So the fact that she called him the father when they arrived in the emergency room, verify identify him as the father of the child?

[@shootingcomet082]

I believe that it isn't a question of knowing her intentions, as even the judge says that's clear. Most likely the birth mom would have had to sign documents that were generated for the New York court system on this topic and, as she was unable to, it fell on to the parents to sign those forms; but they wouldn't.

[@NH-tb2sm]

The fact that the father was willing to give up his child so he shouldn't have to be in foster care proves that he's the better parent.

[@ButyoucancallmeKat]

This was a bonkers episode. The grandparents had no legal claim over a biological father AND what judge was going to pick aging non biological parents over the bio father who has all the baby supplies waiting as he was prepared for the baby. What were the parents going to do??? Put the baby in a shoebox while taking care of their hospitalized daughter and their own health??? It would have taken one conversation to convince them but they had to make an episode out of it…

[@summerschultz]

Sadly this happens all the time.

[@pisces2569]

Forget the legal claim. They don’t have legal rights to sign away parental rights on behalf of their unconscious adult daughter

[@bautistalover]

@@pisces2569not that their daughter had rights anyways.

[@priyankaroy24]

Most of the cases in this series were bonkers

[@segsb7085]

​@@summerschultzit doesnt happen all the time, this is just a silly tv show with terrible acting

[@suzannedavila1446]

Her parents had no rights to that child. This was ridiculous.

[@scriptorpaulina]

Technically this has already been solved, as gestational carriers have already been found not to have rights to a child over the bioparents, even in states like NY.

[@shootingcomet082]

But this leads to other issues if a woman is using donated sperm or a donated egg.

[@lemonadelemon1960]

They would have rights over a child if they are told to abort. Or want to abort because of health issues.

[@scriptorpaulina]

@@shootingcomet082 no, it doesn’t, because gestational carriers use only donated sperm and eggs

[@harleyquinn5774]

Michigan does not recognize surrogacy. A surrogate mother has default legal custody of the baby whether she wants it or not.

[@bautistalover]

As it should be. Even if it was her egg, if you signed a contract that should be the end of it.

[@merlinshouseoffreereadings4641]

I don’t get how the bio dad wouldn’t get custody over grandparents.

[@segsb7085]

Not even grandparents...they have no biological connection to the child because their daughter wasnt the egg donor...so it makes even less sense

[@joannemadden7449]

If it wasn't for the FATHER there would be NO BABY, SO HOW CAN ANYONE TAKE HIM😢

[@lunamoonracer8899]

Isn't he the biological father still? Wouldn't he have a custody claim anyway, if the mom was incapacitated?

[@TurtwigGirl]

There’s no legal documents proving he’s the biological father currently. Since they can’t accept the surrogacy form as a legal statement, all they know for sure is the guy that came into emerg with the pregnant woman says he’s the dad but they’re not married or even engaged. The woman’s parents are also there and claiming custody. So since the baby’s true guardian is in question *no one* gets him.

[@harleyquinn5774]

She’s not even the mom. She was a surrogate for her friend.

[@bautistalover]

She wasn’t the mom, but as the bio father he should be the only one with a legal custody claim.

[@geekemedia]

Yeah she's a surrogate but woudnt he be the biological father or something? How can his rights be violated like this

[@ebayrose]

Because New York had complicated laws regarding surrogacy at the time. The fact that the dad had a surrogacy contract and paid the gestational mother put those laws into effect.

[@AvaGeving]

cause of the laws in new york also not to mention apparently the surrogates form doesn’t exist??? not sure

[@mochann1133]

Love how the court systems ruling is that instead of making one party unhappy, and the other party and the baby happy, let’s make them all unhappy

[@annab9994]

And spend tax money on unnecessary foster care 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@chinguunerdenebadrakh7022]

It's a very small court in the hospital and didn't have the power to make the ultimate decision. If either party wanted to gain final custody, they'd have to go to higher court.

[@AzaStark]

that lady really said that the son who is genetically related to her daughter is the only piece of her daughter she has....Grandma....you're not related to that kid

[@sapphireseptember]

Her daughter has carried that child for months. Of course it's her daughter's child. You have heard of egg donation right?

[@ChiBudgets]

@@sapphireseptemberexcept… the girl wasn’t the egg donor for the baby.

[@sapphireseptember]

@@ChiBudgets Woman, you mean. And what I was trying to point out is that women have babies via egg donation, who are treated just the same by their grandparents as they would be if they were biologically their grandchildren. Being biologically related isn't the be all and end all.

[@geekemedia]

​@@sapphireseptemberthat's called an embryo adoption and they're still not genetically related. That's why it's called embryo "adoption"

[@sapphireseptember]

@@geekemedia Did you miss the bit where I said being biologically related isn't the be all and end all in family relationships? And an embryo adoption is when a person donates embryos they already have so that someone else can use them, so not relevant here.

[@YujiRoyomen]

Here's something, I just find upsetting. A lot of people are pointing out legal stuff, and how the "grandparents" shouldn't have been asked to sign anything over, since their daughter isn't biologically related to the kid, so has no rights to the kid. But this is something someone else pointed out. The comment below me v Lynn's parents didn't know she was pregnant, nor did they know the guy was her best friend. This leads me to believe they weren't super close, and probably haven't talked in years. This could be for many reasons, but I digress. Now here's where I dig a little deeper, than the other comment did. You don't just get pregnant and carry a child for nine months with someone you basically just met and haven't know for that long. It's like how people say they would take a life for their best friends. It's a close bond that you build over time. This gives me the idea, that Lynn and the guy (Can't remember his name) have been friends for close to years. The old people...they didn't know who he was. This gives me two ideas, one of which is sarcasm. Idea 1. Lynn for years never bought her BEST FRIEND home to met the family. Which is most definitely a LIE! If you have a best friend, that you would I don't know...get PREGNANT for, wouldn't you want them to meet your family? Idea 2. Lynn and her parents, or family haven't talked in years. So, here comes the new questions. Why? What happened? Well, we will never know. I don't want to reach and make up something crazy when we have no history of the fake family. I'm just saying. They haven't talked to their daughter in years, which meant she wanted nothing to do with them. Why would she want her parents to have the kid she had for her best friend?

[@samanthamorris427]

I don’t understand if he’s the biological father why doesn’t he have a claim to him

[@makinley.s]

because like they said in the video, surrogacy contracts arent recognized/legal in new york.

[@dancinggrace22MSU]

Yeah I don't understand it either. The contact would be invalid in NY so it would be ignored. So then the biological parents would be the parents which were the egg donor and the father. I don't see how the grandparents would have equal rights to the child as the father.

[@makinley.s]

@@dancinggrace22MSU he may be the biological father, but the surrogate is still the one who carried the pregnancy. The person who gave birth has parental rights unless you have a valid contract saying otherwise or you give up your rights as a parent.

[@jenniferattia908]

Because it's his sperm, another woman's egg and his friend the oven. The intent here was for her to carry someone else's child entirely and in this case the conception via surrogacy means she was giving up her parental rights.

[@jazzycat8917]

@@makinley.s Thats rubbish because what about Lydia Fairchild who was actually a chimera (had absorbed her fraternal twin sister in utero and had two sets of DNA within her) who had her kids taken off her because they weren't biologically hers (they were technically her non existant twin sister's). She still gave birth to them, but she was not afforded automatical parental rights at all when that came to light, she was literally goes to LOSE parental rights because she wasn't the bio mother (until genetic doctors and the courts sorted the whole mess out)

[@starlight49714]

If she was a surrogate, doesnt it mean, the kid was his biologically? Doesnt it mean, he has a right to this child???

[@Baranmazaheri]

I was so sad for the father 😢

[@Karabo_Mash]

Yep

[@kaleemarie13]

I respect the parents of Lynn when they gave the father the baby. I hope in that moment, the father would still recognize her parents as honorary grandparents and that Robin would be able to grow up with all three people loving him unconditionally. Where her parents could still see the life she brought into the world with her body even when genetically and biologically he is not hers and the father could still raise the baby with all the love he can give

[@WarGrowlmon18]

I'm sure that he did: it was a tragic situation all around and they were all good people

[@bautistalover]

I don’t see why he would. If it wasn’t the plan for her to be involved why would it change just because she died? That baby has no relationship to her parents whatsoever.

[@jenniferromero571]

But that baby has no blood relation to her parents.

[@tt8807]

@@jenniferromero571blood schmud! That woman wasn’t just an oven, she carried/nurtured/protected that baby. If a woman adopts a child and raises it with love, does blood relation matter? I personally don’t think so.

[@jenniferromero571]

@@tt8807 thats different. Her parents had no rights to that baby.

[@lemonadelemon1960]

Everyone who is confused about how he lost custody this should clear some of it up. Yes, he is the bio dad and he would have rights, but because of the contract thats based in new Jersey, they need a higher court to decide on the case. No, surrogacy was not all way legal in newyork, Because of that new york has no jurisdiction. And thats how he lost custody. New york cant legally give him the child and they cant legally give the girls parents custody either. So both lose custody. Its a horrible technicality.

[@sbadiyahaustin]

regardless of the contract...it's still biologically his child. how wouldn't he have a claim just based on that alone?

[@raegenarmer2351]

So the biological father has no rights but the grandparents who arent even biologically related to him in any way shape or form get to decide his fate ?😂

[@TimberlakeTigerGirl]

It's because New York doesn't recognize surrogacy pregnancies as legitimate contracts. It's a very complicated and messy problem that they've been trying to fix.

[@moonluna464]

The grandparents aren't even related?? 🙄 How is this even possible?

[@shristhibothra9605]

He is going to be such an amazing father ❤️

[@tarnw3301]

He helped to kill a woman.

[@hydrangeas_lover]

​@@tarnw3301how? Did I miss something

[@PeachWookiee]

@tarnw3301: No, she made the choice to carry, and there is always risk, surrogate or not. Are you unaware of how risky childbirth is?

[@tarnw3301]

@@PeachWookiee risking your life in order to pass your genes it's an observed behavior in pretty much all animals. She risked her life to pass the genes of another human? Lol. I would say the woman that allowed herself to be opened and have her ovum taken was smarter, but considering the risks of fertility associated, she wasn't smart either. The only person with brains in the baby's creation was the man, shame he lacks any moral fiber and abused the lack of intelligence of a woman.

[@ebayrose]

Yeah, this was messed up situation. The guy is the bio dad right? So with the surrogate not being the bio mom as well he should have gotten the kid by defacto anyways. Custody SHOULD automatically be 50/50 between bio parents first unless there's proof of unfitness on both/either side. THEN extended family should be considered, and when no extended family should the state take custody. Even if the surrogate had been the bio mom and wanted custody herself her parents should not have been considered possible guardians before the father.

[@carnationemerald]

Lynn's parents don't seem to realize that the baby isn't a part of Lynn. When Lynn got pregnant with him her eggs weren't used. So, the baby boy isn't really their grandson the doctor said that they didn't use Lynn's eggs.

[@LaineyBug2020]

Wait, how good of a job could they have done if they didn't know Lynn and this guy were best friends as he said? NY if effed up.

[@WarGrowlmon18]

They might've become friends during the pregnancy

[@shootingcomet082]

Sadly enough, Lynn's relationship with her parents wouldn't have any impact on the law, unless it was proved that they where the ones who put her in the coma.

[@PrincessZaire100]

@@WarGrowlmon18they didn’t. That was his biological child, but it wasn’t her sperm

[@WarGrowlmon18]

I think her ultimate fate remained unknown in the end: she was still alive but they didn't know if she was gonna pull through or not

[@ashleytrout7452]

Unfortunately as the surrogate isn’t the egg donor (as it was stated) the father has better claim than the grandparents who have no real relation to the baby

[@jammzy2959]

Legally, no

[@WanderingInWonderland93]

Wouldn't the custodial care fall to the person who's egg it was or who fathered it in cases such as this?

[@leonhardeuler675]

Surely if he is the biological father then it's not like he is devoid of rights here. Isn't it a bog standard custody dispute like the millions of divorces out there?

[@shootingcomet082]

Either way the baby would've had to go into foster care until it was resolved, which could take years. The father decided he didn't want that for his son and would rather his son be raised by great parents that weren't him then be subjected to foster care, which often causes permanent physiological damage to children and many times leads to them being abused and neglected, while the situation was resolved.

[@leonhardeuler675]

@@shootingcomet082 It's nonsense to say that the child had to go into foster care. The judge could have flipped a coin. heads = father, tails = surrogate's parents. This episode was full of plot holes. It's like the story of the "wise" king Solomon that clearly never happened.

[@shootingcomet082]

@@leonhardeuler675 A judge flipping a coin to decide a child's fate is far more of a fable then putting the kid in foster care. That would be an insane and unethical way to decide anything in a legal capacity.

[@ebayrose]

It should but New York had complicated laws regarding surrogacy at the time. The fact that the dad had a surrogacy contract and paid the gestational mother put those laws into effect. Until the surrogate regained consciousness or her parents as her legal guardians while she was comatose signed the New York papers the NY court refused to assign him custody due to him using surrogacy without it being a New York state cleared surrogacy.

[@leonhardeuler675]

@@ebayrose Still don't see why one of the "grandparents" or the dad could have had custody in the mean time. This whole episode shows how the "wise" king Solomon wasn't all that wise.

[@harlequinade5136]

there is absolutley no way that the supposed "grandparents" who are in fact the father's friend's parents should have any claim to the child thats so messed up i cant understand

[@shrettajames2931]

I think as giving as the Father was and then the daughter's parents were, hopefully since their daughter gave up her life for the child, then hopefully they came up with a plan in the end that worked for everyone 😊

[@WarGrowlmon18]

I think her ultimate fate remained unknown in the end: she was still alive but they didn't know if she was gonna pull through or not

[@saidnoone1531]

Why do legalities have to be so devoid of common sense? Heartbreaking

[@harleyquinn5774]

Ugh. I can’t watch shows like this that do such a crap job presenting the legal system. 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@AvaGeving]

the legal system is a crap job over all so i wouldn’t complain courts don’t care one bit about sa about a lot but hey 😢

[@harleyquinn5774]

The daughter should have sought legal counsel about which states to avoid being in while pregnant.

[@actuallyterry]

They likely thought their contract was valid no matter where they traveled to.

[@jazzybash1]

This makes absolutely no sense. He can’t have his biological child because of a surrogacy contract that NY doesn’t recognize. Without the contract and in this same scenario, he would be walking out of the hospital with his child. Now, the kid has to float through the CPS system because of a technicality with the NY law. Like I would have understood this if he wasn’t the biological father but it’s insane he can’t raise his own child. You would think an already crowded system would just let him have his child. All of this hoopla wasn’t necessary because that was his son.

[@AvaGeving]

well sorry but laws are laws for a reason and ny is a weird meh state about laws idk i’ve never been a surrogate but meh i would think the father has rights since it’s his baby!!! but i think they have different types of surrogacy i’m not 100% sure!! 😢 it’s sad but stupid

[@gigiitsme7236]

My law was fixed after.. laws constantly change

[@thefortnitemum]

Can't he just go through the court to prove paternity? I know that as long as he's not on the birth certificate he has no rights to the baby. But like he's the bio dad so he should be able to prove that and get custody if the surrogate dies. I mean like she isn't even the babies bio mum. So her family should have no rights to the baby. Really makea zero sense

[@TurtwigGirl]

He can, but right now since there’s no legal documentation proving either side the court decided no one would get the baby *for now*, until due process is done. But even though genetic testing only takes a short time, now that the grandparents are deciding to fight for the baby they now have to schedule a court hearing and present all the evidence to both sides. This process can take months - depending on how congested the court is.

[@Kels42]

I don’t understand how as the biological father doesn’t have right to HIS child over all non bio people

[@AvaGeving]

cause it’s the law???

[@Kels42]

@@AvaGeving how? He’s the dad. They aren’t even related to the baby.

[@Loostyc]

​@@AvaGevingso who is the father though?

[@tuonabatchelor7915]

Contract or no contract, if the guy is the biological father wouldnt he get the child? This makes no sense.

[@TimberlakeTigerGirl]

Some states don't recognize surrogacy as a legit means to have a baby. Meaning unless the surrogate made previous arrangements to have the biological parents be on the birth certificate. If she gives birth in such a state, she's considered the mother. And if she has a husband or boyfriend then he's recognized as the father. And the biological parents have to go through some stupid legal hoops to get their baby back.

[@SophieDavis-o8f]

He’s not your grandson at all you’re not even genetically related adopted related nothing so just get this man his son I’m actually screaming. These people are terrible and since they didn’t know she was even pregnant. Why should they deserve the child people like this just disgust me

[@liorasitelman1856]

Foster care for the baby was egregious on part of the judge. Custody should have been awarded to the father with mandated frequent visitation rights from the grandparents

[@shayalexander8296]

New York has always been a weirdo state.

[@jayleighbear]

also judges do get a final say to a degree. that judge could very easily override precedent and give the baby to the father.

[@lz6364]

Omg the baby's face at 10:17 is just too precious and adorable!!! So cute

[@ursaltydog]

The baby is STILL his biological child... no matter if his best friend was surrogate or not..

[@funkyducky8751]

"We arent going to give the baby to the rightful father because bs so foster system the baby goes." Sounds right for New York.

[@jennifer.martin.48]

Former L&D nurse…this would never happen. They wouldn’t just take the baby away from the father’s arms especially if mother died. They would get hospital ethics and lawyers involved to discuss this without barring the man from holding his child.

[@gigiitsme7236]

Laws change. It’s wasn’t always 2000’s

[@silversleeper1193]

Agreed. The most unbelievable part of this story was “we legally can’t let you so much as touch the baby because you don’t have custody.” Whether or not the custody part was true, there’s NO reason to say he can’t even hold the baby because of it. I mean by that logic neither can the nurses 🙄

[@tic857]

So a guy who's named father at birth, isn't allowed to take his baby home...when there are non biological fathers who sign the certificate at birth and can still fight and have custody later?

[@patricksfam3765]

Solomon's dilemma. This was so unrealistic. Doctors getting so involved. Doctors talking with him about the baby before tellng him the status of the surrogate..

[@zarrinbari3542]

10:15: that cute little baby boy doing the sad face

[@SrgntWhiteGirl]

How can they take the baby if the baby isn’t blood related to the mother or the mothers parents? How can they say that the baby isn’t the dads when the baby is BLOOD RELATED to the father??

[@irishballetdancer]

Paternity test.... how is this a real thing?

[@ajc-ff5cm]

Why didnt they go to a New Jersey hospital? Oh, right. TV.

[@angelalee6105]

Confused with her saying, "He is the last piece I have of my daughter." The daughter was a surrogate she didn’t donate her egg, so how is the baby the last piece?

[@gatesraby6744]

That grand mother is completely out of line. They need to respect their daughters wishes and contract. That is why she was pregnant as a result of invitro from the paternal parent. Meaning the father is a match for DNA which in any legal courtroom would make him the legal father. From a legal standpoint all they would have to do is go across the bridge to Jersey and press charges against the grandparents for kidnapping and disregarding a legal notarized contract signed by the deceased and the father. That is true love on behalf of the father to not allow the child to be put in foster care. I'm so glad the parents of the deceased came to their senses after that display of sacrificial love that man displayed. Otherwise I would be appalled by those grand parents.

[@2b16p]

Yeah this a stupid way to write this situation. There is no reason to not grant the biological father custody. And as flawed as the foster care system can be, I hate the villainization of it as a whole. There are amazing foster parents out there.

[@wessltov]

I like this modern retelling of King Solomon deciding who gets to keep the baby. The only thing I liked less about this version is that both parties were far more understanding towards one another than could be excused under the circumstances. As opposed to the original story, this situation would actually allow for more moral dilemma since neither party is in the wrong

[@segsb7085]

The girl's parents are in the wrong because the child isn't biologically related to them. She wasn't the the egg donor so they have zero rights and they knew it, they were just being selfish and cruel...it would have been a different case if they thought erroneously that it was her baby and were only finding out after she fell into a coma that it wasnt hers. In that case, you could sympathize with them because it would have all been too much to take in at once...

[@tarnw3301]

A man exploited a dumb woman to get pregnant (a dangerous thing on its own) with another woman's ovum (which is extremely stupid and increased risk of death and infertility, as I said, the woman was really dumb). Because he, a man, wants to have access to a vulnerable newborn child who lacks a mother. Someone commented the grandparents weren't close to their daughter, and I agree, I knew I would be livid at the dude that practically murdered my daughter.

[@redclover8387]

Wow. Hamilton was right about that. "Everythings leagal in Jersey" xD sorry sorry the joke was there

[@meganescriven3198]

4:51 but the baby isn't even related to her she's more like a babysitter. That baby isn't your grandson his that stranger's son. If i was the grandparents instead of kidnapping the child i would keep in contact with the father to be able to see the baby from time to time and be an actual grandparent to that child.

[@boomds5602]

A contract is a contract. It is an agreement between two people, period.

[@sadiemeyers6758]

That baby is so adorable. On my goodness. I just want to cuddle that sweet baby.

[@fitnesswithken]

This is evident that fighting and dragging doesn’t win but humility and love does

[@andreachilton6037]

I would have suggested some sort of joint custody since they all love the child enough to make such a sacrifice. The baby will need grandparents anyway, and they can help the father navigate parenthood.

[@alirosebest831]

I don’t get that, surrogate or not, that’s his Dad

[@mercianmaiden]

This would not of happened. The baby would’ve been given to the bio dad

[@Jacob.Springer]

No way! My favorite doctor has the plushie of my favorite animal in his office. Orca plushie in bottom right corner at 2:49.

[@silversleeper1193]

I’m joining the chorus of this doesn’t make any sense. If the battle was between the woman herself and the biofather, fine. You can argue the contract isn’t recognised and there can be a custody battle. But to say that because of it the biological father has NO right to the baby at all? Rapists get parental rights. Sperm donors who don’t go through banks (aka known donors) get rights. You’re not going for convince me that this contract was so unrecognised that it completely invalidated all his rights as a biological parent to the point where the hospital isn’t even allowed to let him TOUCH the baby.

[@TimberlakeTigerGirl]

You'd be surprised especially since it was even worse a few decades ago.

[@vivianedossantoscaipira7075]

Judge: "Sorry, my hands are tied". WTF???!!! Does she think that baby isn't human???!!! Of course it's not her child, so she doesn't care about a human life.

[@capers72424]

A judge’s job is to interpret and uphold the law. They can’t just do whatever they want.

[@bautistalover]

@@capers72424it’s a family court judge her job is what is in the best interest of the child which was to be with the father not OLD non grandparents who weren’t that close with their daughter that they had no idea she was literally just a vessel for the baby with no ties at all.

[@AvaGeving]

well laws are laws for a reason judges have to follow the rules to see what is for the best interest half the time the justice system is very corrupt with cases it’s weird :/

[@vivianedossantoscaipira7075]

@@AvaGeving I believe it's the best interest for their money. Obviously, they couldn't care less, for the baby. We can all see it, on the way she dismissed the case...

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

The law does not believe that the people running this society are humans.

[@patricksfam3765]

He was willing to cave entirely. Weird. I would have suggested shared custody until things got sorted out. No need for all-or-nothing.

[@shanoriya]

How do you get a contract with out a lawyer present and why wouldn’t the lawyer tell you that surrogacy is not legal in New York? 😐

[@PrincessZaire100]

Because they made the contract in New Jersey. But because she gave birth in New York, the contract was made invalid, how I don’t know

[@burimfazliu3102]

The the mother isn’t biologically related, that means the grandparents aren’t the grandparents and the biological dad has a claim. Sounds easy

[@adamrojas7948]

If all parties involved live in New Jersey and it’s a contract signed in New Jersey then it shouldn’t matter where the birth was.

[@LostAngel1998]

9:10 I would have suggested shared parenting if both parties was wanting the baby until further notice of the courts decision of who gets full custody. It would also give both parties time to get to know each other and bond.

[@auspiciousexhibionist]

If it’s his sperm…He can keep the child, he just has to contest paternity.

[@RobJBost]

I love that the Male Nurse who took the baby was so....unique, lol. I mean, typically you'd have a woman in that role, not a tatted up dude. I love the subversion.

[@briesullivan883]

How did they not know what the state’s surrogacy laws were?

[@jennytimelord9689]

Why does grandparent even get to fight when the bio dad is there?

[@adodoadeadewuyi7957]

Very crazy and daft law.

[@MakiPcr]

Ah, it's the King's Solomon baby thing, and like in the story we see who the real mother is

[@brendabanuelos7692]

I don’t understand the parents, their daughter was not the egg donor!!! The baby was not their grandson!!! Really?

[@lingrapes]

In Canada, to be a surrogate, you would have had to have given birth before. Is that the same in the states? So those using suggogates know if the mother had an uncomplicated birth before?

[@silversleeper1193]

Most agencies have that as a rule, mostly as proof that you can even GET pregnant, though also to help with the idea of letting go (not sure how well it works, but that’s the theory). But if you’re doing it privately like this, as far as I know there’s no such requirement. Could vary per state though.

[@Just_janee_]

Why would they leave him in there with other babies

[@moniquedavis6217]

Good Question

[@marthaz1183]

If I were him , I’d move closer to live near them that way they can all be together and see the baby grow up. So heartwarming. ❤❤

[@autumnmustar1575]

No No no no ❌❌❌😭😭😭😱😱😱😤😤😤

[@ChristinaWhitter]

christina❤❤❤✈️✈️

[@ushays]

I'll be honest, and I'm glad it didn't happen like this, I was waiting for the grandparents to say something like "we're not naming our grandchild a terrible name like Robin"

[@darcybrummett7004]

7:06 So where’s the intended mother in all this?

[@ChristophProbst]

I'm a family law attorney. This makes good tv, but be assured it is not the law in the real world. In the real world, the biological father would automatically have custody. If it was taken to court, the biological father would be extremely likely to prevail over the grandparents. The chances of a child wanted by a safe and loving biological family going into foster care would be very low.

[@TimberlakeTigerGirl]

Some states don't recognize surrogacy as a legit means to have a baby so its not that simple. Besides, the laws have changed to allow the bio parents to get their baby but this actually used to be a huge issue a few decades ago.

[@jenniferromero571]

I find this wrong. That child has no blood relation to those people. But does to that father.

[@Maybethia]

ANUPAM KHER?!?!?!?!

[@amsaric]

I’d rather the child go to foster care than those parents who are clearly cruel and selfish that they would project their faults with their parenting with their daughter onto this child that isn’t even their grandson but someone else’s son, the son of a father who wanted him into existence. He WANTED HIM INTO EXISTENCE. They just want them to replace the loss of their daughter. And how exactly were they planning on raising him as their own? They’d die before he became an adult. Literally EVERY facet of this situation points to them being not in the best interest of the child when his father is standing right there. Thank goodness they came to their senses and did the right thing.

[@solallate1141]

Every Doctor's priority should be to save Mother than Baby

[@purpleness64]

They moved New Amsterdam moved to Peacock 🦚

[@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327]

Just checked. Wow, they’re taking _everything_ off Netflix now.

[@purpleness64]

@@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327 I just saw that it's coming to Netflix this month!

[@Ariana-wv4pf]

He should have torn the contract and said he was the biological father via sex. That way he would have all the rights.

[@murrdablurr4365]

welcome to america

[@dontcaredidntask.]

Only in the US