What happened to Cathleen Legacy, the surrogate?

Cathleen Legacy was left abandoned and pregnant with twins by the British couple she was surrogating for when she was 27 weeks pregnant, after they divorced and the father texted her to find adoptive parents.

Are surrogacy agreements legally enforceable in Canada?

No, surrogacy agreements are not legally enforceable in Canada, leaving surrogates like Cathleen without legal recourse if the intended parents abandon the arrangement.

How did Cathleen Legacy handle the abandonment while pregnant with twins?

Despite the abandonment and lack of legal support, Cathleen found a couple, Sophie and Rob, who adopted the twins after their birth, bringing a difficult experience to a close.

Home / Lifestyle / Surrogacy Nightmare: Twins' Father Texts 'Find Adoptive Parents'

Surrogacy Nightmare: Twins' Father Texts 'Find Adoptive Parents'

3 Apr

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Summary

Surrogate left pregnant with twins after couple's sudden abandonment.
Surrogacy agreements are not legally enforceable in Canada.
Surrogate was 20 years old and 27 weeks pregnant at abandonment.

Surrogacy Nightmare: Twins' Father Texts 'Find Adoptive Parents'

Cathleen Legacy, a 20-year-old at the time, found herself in a desperate situation when the British couple she was surrogating for, James and Alice, abandoned her via text message when she was 27 weeks pregnant with twins. The arrangement, which involved traditional surrogacy using Cathleen's eggs and James's sperm, was meant to help the couple who struggled with fertility.

Despite a surrogacy contract being drawn up, it lacked provisions for a party changing their minds. Following the news of the twins, the couple divorced, and James instructed Cathleen to find adoptive parents, leaving her with no legal support as surrogacy agreements are not enforceable in Canada. Cathleen ultimately arranged for the twins to be adopted by a suitable couple, Sophie and Rob, after a harrowing experience that impacted her personal relationships and well-being.

Cathleen, now 35, reflects on her naivety at 19 when she first became a surrogate. She later pursued surrogacy again through an agency, helping four more couples between 2017 and 2023, but acknowledges the deep resentment she holds towards James and Alice for their actions.

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