the goan I network
PANAJI
Born on December 2, this 18-day old baby boy steals the credit for being Goa’s first child born through surrogate pregnancy to a Pune-based single father Yousef Khan who is too happy to have him and mother him all by himself.
Thankful to Dr Kedar Padte, Goa’s noted infertility specialist, Yousef, the 36-year-old music teacher in Dubai and now the new father narrated his difficult yet rewarding journey to parenthood. Being Goa’s first single surrogate IVF father, Yousef’s narrative puts another feather in the cap of Dr Padte who has treated difficult and impossible cases turning them into success stories.
The first successful IVF in Goa by Dr Padte was in 2001 and the child is today 19 years of age. The first successful surrogate pregnancy that happened in Goa at Dr Padte’s hospital was a decade ago.
Holding the little bundle of joy in his arms, Yousef spoke elaborately to media on issues like adoption, surrogacy, single parenthood and the mixed reactions to his decision of becoming a single father.
He spoke about the concept of fathering a child by a single parent, staying in compliance with lengthy, complicated legal formalities “ along with following the guidelines of ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research).
“It’s sad for anyone to be childless. The need to be a parent is the same for woman and man. I too wanted to be a parent but did not wish to get married. So I tried to adopt a child since 2010 but the process for adoption in India is very rigid. The government makes it almost impossible for a single person to adopt a child,” he narrated.
“It was only after giving up completely on the idea of adopting a child that I opted for the equally exhaustive alternative “ of finding a surrogate to borrow a womb to keep my baby for nine months,” he said.
It took him four years to float the idea to his family, especially parents, convince them and prepare them mentally for this unconventional way of becoming a parent.
Yousef said that Kabir has 18 cousins and he will be meeting his grandparents for the first time on December 21. “I wanted to spend time with my baby, take care of him myself, as I am not planning to get married. I don’t think mothering a child is prerogative of a woman alone. Even males can raise a child quite successfully, which I am already proving,” he said.
“Curious people have asked me questions about the baby. I answer if I have time. Except for breastfeeding, I have been doing everything for Kabir “ changing his diapers, feeding him Aptamil formula (breastmilk substitute), burping him and singing lullabies. I am enjoying every single moment of being with him and have no words to express how
happy I am,” said the excited father.
