I think Baker did the right thing. No way could I turn over children I nurtured in my body to a mentally ill person.

I think it seriously depends on what type of mental illness we’re talking about. Around 25% of all Americans suffer from some form of mental illness and almost 10% suffer from depression at some point in their lives. Are we saying that that entire block of people shouldn’t be permitted to have children? There are absolutely cases where some people with mental illness have taken actions that make it clear that they, personally, are not going to be safe raising a child – but to commenters who say that they’d never ‘hand over’ a child to someone with any form of mental illness, would you take children away from mothers with post-partum depression? How about Strollerderby’s own Dad Gone Mad? Blanket discrimination helps no one. Get educated:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml

“During a hearing to transfer guardianship to the Kehoes, Scott Kehoe said his wife had paranoid schizophrenia. Ms. Kehoe’s psychiatrist listed the diagnosis as a “psychotic disorder not otherwise specified.” Ms. Kehoe takes an antipsychotic to control her symptoms.
Before her diagnosis in 2001, Ms. Kehoe told the judge, she had self-medicated, and that was the reason for her arrest on charges of cocaine use and driving under the influence.”

This is a quote from the aforementioned NYTimes article. Obviously this was much more than a case of post-partum depression.

Most likely Ms. Kehoe’s medication precludes her from carrying the pregnancy herself. Indeed, in order to have a successful pregnancy that does not jeopardize the health, safety, and very life of her child, she would have to go off the very medications that keep her symptom-free. Patients diagnosed with a psychosis NOS (not otherwise specified) — please note that this diagnosis generally relates to patients who have symptoms of schizophrenia, but their case is not considered severe enough to warrant such a diagnosis — are not inherently a danger to a child. If one is proactive about treatment, and is consistently medicated, the effects of the illness may be minimal.

Ms. Kehoe’s diagnosis would have kept her off most adoption lists. She is a UMich grad herself, and likely an intelligent woman. This intelligent woman, who has not experienced significant symptoms of her mental illness in 8 or 8 years, wants to have a child, but cannot bear one herself. There is a good chance she might not want to use one of her own eggs, either due to infertility or the (strong) chance that she might pass on her illness. I can see why an intelligent, caring woman who happens to be struggling with a mental illness might want to ensure a healthy child that possesses some of her finer characteristics.

Perhaps I defend her because I am an elementary school teacher diagnosed with the same mental illness — a chronic, undifferentiated psychosis. In all modesty, I was the “most requested” teacher among parents, am national board certified, and recently earned a full scholarship to graduate school. My illness has not affected my work, and no one — not my colleagues, my students, nor their parents — has any knowledge of my “condition.” Mental health patients suffer from tremendous stigma, granted, for some very good reasons. These illnesses pose tremendous challenges, and for many patients it is all they can do to care for themselves — if they can. That does not mean that ALL people with mental illness are unfit to be parents… and who is the surrogate to decide?

I agree with Eric – it’s def. not the “slimmest of claims” – and she wouldn’t be much of a surrogate if she didnt’ care at all where the children were going.

If the mom-to-be had been under treatment for eight years, I don’t see “mental illness” as something that should be stigmatized. We don’t really want a return to the times when people didn’t seek help for mental problems because of the stigma society attached, do we? And plenty of people with mental illness self-medicate before getting the proper treatment. That doesn’t make her some out-of-control druggie just waiting to flip Norman Bates, for god’s sake.

My wife and I are three months along her gestational surrogacy journey and it’s articles like this that bring mixed feelings. What has happened to the Kehoes is heartwrenching and unfair. At the same time, we are blessed to be working with IPs and a support group that are top shelf all the way. If the NY Times article depicts “When Surrogacy Goes Wrong”, I’m pleased to say that we are the living, breathing embodiment of “Surrogacy Done Right”. You can read about our story here: http://www.guestwomb.com

Having a mental illness doesn’t make a woman unable to function as a mom, I have bipolar and am successfully raising four children without issue. I think the lack of responsibility the state is willing to take is horrible and shame on Baker for her actions, she should have done a bit more research beforehand if she was that concerned!

CommentsThere are facts that just came out in the news that Ms Kehoe has never suffered from paranoid schizophrenia per her doctor’s note. The mental illness that she has, is no threat to anyone or anybody.