00:00For Eddie and his partner, also called Eddie, having children of their own had
00:09always been a dream. And while heading to the park is now a cherished part of
00:13family life, it wasn't an easy journey. The reason that we started this journey
00:20is that we felt like we have a lot of love that we want to pass it on. Having
00:24babies definitely like something that we always want to do, but it also took us a
00:29while to kind of figure out what are some of the options that can be available to
00:33us. So yes, that's something that we have envisioned of doing for years.
00:39Their son Max, not his real name, is now almost two. He was born in Portland, Oregon
00:43in the United States via surrogacy, a practice that remains banned in Taiwan.
00:49At the time, it cost them more than 130,000 U.S. dollars. Today, that figure has risen
00:54to nearly 200,000. And Max's birth didn't just come with a high price tag. Delayed
01:00by COVID, the couple spent two years on a waiting list before finally being matched
01:05with their surrogate mother, Jen.
01:06Hi, Jen. How do you say?
01:08Hi.
01:08Hi. What's up? Good morning.
01:10Good morning.
01:11Good morning.
01:12I know a lot of people might think the whole surrogate thing is like more a
01:17transactional process, but actually not. Like when you are working with a surrogate,
01:23it's actually a both-way situation that you are not just interviewing them, they are also
01:29interviewing you at the same time as well. So it's a mutual agreement. You both need to
01:35feel comfortable working with each other.
01:38Jen, a mother of two, helped give Eddie and his husband the chance to start a family.
01:43And their two families remain close, even reuniting in Max's birthplace in Portland.
01:48But while surrogacy made their dream possible, here in Taiwan, it's still a deeply divisive
01:55issue.
02:09At the end of last year, lawmakers hoping to tackle a persistently low birth rate began
02:14reviewing changes to the Assisted Reproduction Act. Meant to expand single women and same-sex
02:19couples access to services like IVF, it also included the possibility of legalizing surrogacy.
02:26But after two public hearings, the health ministry said opposition to surrogacy was overwhelming,
02:32and it was dropped from the proposed amendments.
02:34Critics say legalizing surrogacy could lead to the exploitation of women and children.
02:53And while supporters acknowledge such risks exist in less developed countries,
02:58family lawyer Sherman Lin says that's not a danger Taiwan needs to fear.
03:02The Taiwan medical industry, I think, is the top three in the world. We have the really good
03:09technique. And in the legal side, our judge, our congressmen are pretty mature,
03:14can be really detailed and really careful for establishing all kinds of the legal.
03:18Yeah, so I think under a mature system of the medical and the law, Taiwan can go pretty smoothly.
03:26Despite this, those working in the area of fertility say there's still a lot of pushback,
03:31often from misconceptions about surrogacy. And until there's more awareness,
03:36legalization still feels a long way off.
03:38legalization still feels like there's still a lot of pushback,
03:41legalization still feels like there's still a lot of pushback.
03:44I think there's still a lot of people need to see the needs of the people who are
03:50going to be on the social media. Or why are they going to be on the social media?
03:56The plan is that the needs of the people who are willing to be on the social media.
03:57In the US, many of the family's families are not very bad.
04:02And for Eddie and Eddie, their surrogacy journey was all about love.
04:17So I think it doesn't need to be like just there's only one option when it comes to what
04:24family is about, what having the kids is about.
04:28As long as you have parents, mom and dad who really fell in love with their kids and really
04:37spend time and effort to raise their kids, I think that's the most important thing of
04:41all.
04:42I have a child that I really love him and it completes my life.
04:50The couple now hope to grow their family with a second surrogacy in the U.S. But for many
04:55in Taiwan, the chance to start a family this way remains out of reach.
04:59And for now, just a dream.
05:01Alex Chen and Izzy Wells for Taiwan Plus.
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