Babies Abandoned In Another Chinese Surrogacy Scandal

Babies abandoned in another Chinese surrogacy scandal have sparked renewed controversy over international fertility tourism and the legal complexities surrounding gestational surrogacy. A surrogate mother in St. Augustine, Florida, is currently locked in a legal battle to retain custody of two surviving triplet boys after the intended father, a single man from China, failed to claim them for nearly 20 months. Kyla Simpson gave birth to the three boys at UF Health Jacksonville on November 4, 2024. The intended father never attended the birth, leaving Simpson and her husband, Lincoln, to take charge of the newborns. After spending time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the couple brought the infants home in January 2025. They breastfed and cared for the children as their own until a court order placed the children in foster care. One of the triplets died from complications related to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) while under Simpson's care, leaving the other two in state custody as the legal dispute continues. The case initially drew public attention through a post by children’s rights activist Katy Faust on X, where she described how a single Chinese man had arranged for triplets, failed to appear at the birth, and later sent “two sketchy guys in a black SUV” to retrieve the children before vanishing. Faust highlighted the situation as emblematic of the global baby trade, emphasizing the risks faced by women in surrogacy agreements with foreign clients. According to First Coast News, Simpson had signed a gestational surrogacy contract and a hospital birth plan dated October 31, 2024, granting her physical custody and decision-making authority should the intended father fail to appear. The boys remained in the NICU for approximately two months before being released to the family. Simpson said the intended father repeatedly claimed he was working on a U.S. visa and once asked her to assist with obtaining the children’s travel documents, even discussing the possibility of her flying the babies to China. In a March 21, 2025, email, the intended father stated he would send a friend and an agent to pick up the children. When two men arrived at Simpson’s home, she refused to hand over the babies, insisting they be returned only to him, the people listed in case of his death, or a representative from the agency. Communication soon ceased, and in August 2025, one of the triplets died from RSV complications. Simpson described the loss as devastating, recalling the boy as “my most bubbly baby.” She heard from the intended father again in February 2026, prompting her to initiate legal proceedings to terminate his parental rights and pursue adoption. His attorney secured an emergency order requiring the children to be handed over. Simpson’s attorney, Ellen Kaplan, filed an emergency motion and an appeal with Florida’s Fifth District Court of Appeal on July 14, arguing that China is not a signatory to the Hague Abduction Convention and that keeping the children in the U.S. was necessary. The court denied the emergency motion, though Kaplan has requested a rehearing. A ten-minute hearing is set for late July in St. Johns County. An investigator working for Simpson reported speaking with the FBI, though First Coast News could not confirm an ongoing investigation. The case adds to growing concerns about surrogacy arrangements involving Chinese clients. Federal authorities are reportedly examining alleged China-linked “rent-a-womb” operations in California, as previously reported by The Daily Wire. Kallie Fell, executive director of the Center for Bioethics and Culture, referred to such patterns as “a form of organized reproductive trafficking.” Simpson and her husband are fundraising to cover legal expenses as they continue their fight to ensure the boys remain in the United States. Their efforts underscore the complex intersection of personal tragedy, legal battles, and international policy in the realm of surrogacy.