Day-Old Israeli Twin Baby of Surrogate Mom Dies in Nepal
Image by Getty Images
An Israeli baby born to a surrogate mother in a Nepal field hospital died less than a day after his birth.
The baby boy, a twin, died Wednesday night in Kathmandu in a tent in a field hospital set up following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25 that has killed thousands.
Following the earthquake, Israel evacuated 25 Israeli babies born to surrogate mothers in Nepal, as well as some late-term surrogate mothers. Four more babies born after the earthquake were later airlifted out of Nepal as well.
One of the parents was identified as Yossef Levy, Israel’s ambassador to Serbia. Levy is an openly writer whose pen name is Yossi Avni.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry told Israel Radio that it was working to bring the baby’s twin sister and father to Israel, the Times of Israel reported. The time necessary to bring a baby born to a surrogate into the country was recently shortened from about a month to a week.
The baby was being cared for in a tent with nine other newborn. He may have had a heart condition, according to reports.
Although a bill to allow same-sex couples to have surrogate pregnancies in Israel passed an initial vote in the Knesset last year, it has yet to become law. For now, same-sex Israeli couples must go abroad for surrogacy and are allowed to bring the child back to Israel.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
