Suseonline,

"It is a hard to understand unless you have a disabled child yourself." As a person who currently has two medical conditions myself - you don't just 'abandon' a child when you go overseas - and come from Australia. This couple is not poor.

Personally, I have to 'look after myself' as a single adult. It's not easy as I have Epilepsy for example.

This mother will have to raise this child herself - and she is poor.

As for onthebeach showing no sympathy, do you care for more than just yourself?

There may be an argument in support of surrogacy. However I'm not sure that argument can be supported when there are so many unwanted babies in the World which require adoption.
This seems a rather disturbing case where rich people from the developed World have exploited a women from the third for their benefit. When things have not worked out to their satisfaction this is the result. An innocent human being abandoned to its fate.
Beach makes a good point << It is another area where science is ahead of the law and there are people who are taking advantage of that fact, although I do not believe there is any way to successfully regulate surrogacy.>> Morally the "parents" should have taken both children, but they did not without breaking any laws.
I am myself an "adopted" grandfather, where by, my partners son and daughter-in-law, have recently, legally adopted her sisters fifth child, their one and only. A beautiful boy who's name in Maori translates into 'The Gift'and everything so far has worked out rather well. In Maori culture most people have a very good extended family, one mother and father, sisters and brothers etc, but also lots of uncles, aunties and cousins. Very valuable when it comes to families supporting each other. My partner spends a lot of her time counselling, supporting and advising many of the younger members of her extended family both here and in NZ.

OTB and Paul, you talk about all these babies being available for adoption overseas.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to adopt a baby from overseas?

A friend of mine took 7 years to finally hold her baby from China in her arms.
It is a long, often heartbreaking process that costs tens of thousands of dollars.

NathanJ, I am not having a go at disabled people, but merely pointing out that it is a lifetime commitment to take on a child with Down's Syndrome, with their often considerable mental and physical problems that will often mean putting any other children you have a far second.

Not everyone is up for that challenge, and in many cases the mother is left to raise the child alone....

Not everyone is up for that challenge, and in many cases the mother is left to raise the child alone...? Well sorry the woman in this case has.

As for Paul1405 stating "I do not believe there is any way to successfully regulate surrogacy" - but for some strange reason I am told (via the media) this couple lives in Western Australia.

So somebody knows something about them - A Federal or Government department? When I went to make a donation towards this child and their mother - I read people's comments on the website. They were all in support of the parent.

So I knew there will be the ability to legislative change on this matter - and it will be easy.

Why? Because it won't be a battle between various groups or a case of "one up-manship". The extreme left or right won't have a case to go with or those wanting to take a token pat on the head approach will be out of the picture.

One person's online comments highlights the potential shocking reality for the future: "When the other child, finds out the truth, they will never be able to respect their parents. In fact, I would imagine this will completely destroy their entire family and any possible relationship with this child (and any others) they have had or will have."

So what can we can end up with, with no groups and newspaper columnists able to push a barrow? Good change and quality legislation.

A first time, for a long time in Australia - and it has taken this horrible incident for the potential for real change.

NathanJ, why blame just the adoptive mother?
We don't know the whole story do we?
How do we know it wasn't the adoptive father who was the one who refused to take the boy?

I have worked as a community nurse and a midwife for many years, and believe me, there are far more mothers out there looking after their disabled kids alone at home than there are fathers....

How can you believe that surrogate policy is not being agonised over continually by some of the best minds and most caring people in the country, and in other countries too?

It is complex for all sorts of considerations come into play.

Perhaps Google a little to find interviews of policy-makers and people working in the field. Heaps have been done on it and as far as I am aware, there is no magic policy bullet.