Careful What You Sign

Today featured a story about a woman who is battling with her ex-husband over "custody" of a few frozen embryos they created when they were together, still planning on having a family (through in-vitro). Just before the procedure, he withdrew his consent and a year later they were divorced. Now she wants to have a baby, one she already created, with her ex-husband. He doesn't want to be an anonymous sperm donor, and he doesn't feel that it's right to bring a child into this particular relationship, since if he created a child, he would want to be a father to that child. The contract indicated that in the case of divorce, the embryos were to be destroyed (that was the option they selected).

Well, it's not really a custody battle, since if the man won "custody" I am not sure what he'd do with frozen embryos.

Woman's case: the procedure was to be done the day after the contract was signed, so there weren't going to BE any embryos to destroy (weak, since I think this is a case of her signing something she didn't think was going to ever happen. Big mistake). Even her lawyer says that by withdrawing consent from a "consent form" it makes the contract basically void. Then why is there an item on there for "in case of divorce..."? Woman just didn't expect Man to back out of the deal. Regardless of what they thought was going to take place, they signed a contract! Unfortunately now she feels these are her children and is going to lose them.

His case: Rock solid.

In other NEWS, have you ever put a note in a helium balloon and sent it up into the sky? No? Me neither. But this kid did and it found its way into the hands of someone quite special... and she wrote back. Pretty cool.