Australian couple will never take Gammy, says surrogate mother

“My boy”: Pattharamon Chanbua with baby Gammy in Thailand

11 August 2014

A Thai surrogate mother who gave birth to a baby boy with Down’s syndrome today said the Australian father, a convicted paedophile, and his wife will never gain custody of the child.

Pattharamon Chanbua, 21, has accused electrician David Farnell and his Chinese-born wife Wendy of abandoning Gammy when they took his twin sister Pipah to Australia.

In a TV interview, Mr and Mrs Farnell said that as soon as they could be certain Pipah was “safe”, they intended to return to Thailand for her brother.

Ms Chanbua said she would welcome Mr Farnell, 56, and his wife if they came to see Gammy, now seven months, but added “they will never get my boy.”

She added: “You are dreaming. You are already guilty of abandoning Gammy and now you think you can get away with this.” She said she would take care of him “until I die”.

In their interview with the 60 Minutes programme, Mr and Mrs Farnell said they did not abandon Gammy because he had Down’s syndrome but returned to Australia in a hurry as Ms Chanbua had threatened to keep both babies. The surrogate mother said the couple had earlier asked her to have an abortion but that she had refused.

Mr Farnell said that despite his 22 convictions for child sex abuse in the Nineties, Pipah would be safe, and claimed he had not had any sexual urges towards children for 30 years.

Referring to his offences, he said: “I hang my head in shame for that. I am regretful for that. I am so sorrowful.

“I went to jail and when I got out I thought I could run and hide, change my name, head to another town. I thought no, I need to face everybody and I should say yes and take responsibility for what I did.”

A spokesman for the West Australian Department of Child Protection said an inquiry was continuing, but that no further details would be released.

Australian couple will never take Gammy, says surrogate mother

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