ERIE, Pa., April 12 (UPI) -- A Pennsylvania judge has ruled a surrogate child-bearer is the legal mother of triplets with whom she has no genetic link.
Judge Shad Connelly granted the request of the surrogate mother, Danielle Bimber, and named her the legal mother of the three babies, the Times-News reported Monday.
The triplets' biological father, who declined to be identified, said he would appeal the decision of the Erie, Pa., judge.
The fiancee of the man who supplied his sperm was not the egg donor, who herself did not seek custody.
Pennsylvania has no laws regulating surrogate mother contracts. Connelly invalidated the surrogacy contract, saying it unlawfully failed to name a legal mother for the babies and encouraged the parties "to sign away legal rights belonging to the triplets."
He said public policy in Pennsylvania demands the triplets, like any other children, "should be able to identify who their parents are, even if they are not biologically or genetically connected to them."
Said Connelly: The triplets "did not hatch, they were born."
