Someone Else's Child

On a summer morning in Canberra, Sue Phillips gave birth for the fourth time. Sue's husband was by her side, along with Lily, the baby's genetic mother. Labor was brief, but excruciating; and only minutes afterwards, Sue wrapped the newborn in a blanket and handed her over to Lily. What does it take to carry someone else's child? What does it feel like to give her up? Motivated by a strong desire to help, Sue first approached Lily after hearing about her health problems from a mutual friend. Facing a childless future, Lily and her husband were ecstatic, but Sue's surrogacy commitment was only the first step in a long, often difficult, journey for both couples. Someone Else's Child is the story of Sue's experience as a 'gestational carrier'—at the age of thirty-nine, with a family of her own, when surrogacy in Australia is still rare, and commercial surrogacy illegal. In her own words, Sue describes the emotional highs and lows, bureaucratic hurdles, physical challenges, family pressures, legal confusion and social scrutiny that followed her decision to become a surrogate. Someone Else's Child is a unique personal account of what it means to give the gift of life.