Australian couple and Colombian surrogate allege exploitation by surrogacy broker Paul Norris-Ongso
Consensus Summary
The articles detail a surrogacy scandal involving Australian couple Melinda and Gail McCann, Colombian surrogate Danna Martinez, and Melbourne lawyer Paul Norris-Ongso, who ran Global Surrogacy (now KinPath Surrogacy). Martinez alleged exploitation, including being paid half the promised amount, denied proper medical and psychological care, and forced to travel alone for the birth. The McCanns faced bureaucratic hurdles securing citizenship for their daughter Alexis Bella Danna, who was born stateless in October 2024. Norris-Ongso denies wrongdoing, claiming surrogates are well-treated and contracts are honored, though multiple former clients, staff, and surrogates accuse his agency of unethical practices. The global surrogacy industry’s murky regulations and Australia’s ban on commercial surrogacy drive demand for overseas services, often with questionable oversight.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Melinda McCann and her wife Gail paid approximately $100,000 to Paul Norris-Ongso’s company Global Surrogacy (now KinPath Surrogacy) for surrogacy services in 2023.
- Surrogate Danna Martinez from Colombia’s north was matched with the McCanns and gave birth to a baby girl named Alexis Bella Danna in October 2024.
- Martinez alleged she was paid only $20,500 (10 monthly payments of $900, insurance, social security, and a $10,500 post-birth bonus) instead of the $40,000 the McCanns were told she would receive.
- Martinez claimed she was not provided postpartum medical or psychological care, had her doctor changed, and was forced to travel alone to Bogotá for the birth despite medical advice against it.
- Paul Norris-Ongso denies wrongdoing, stating surrogates receive $20,000 directly plus $20,000 for insurance, medical fees, transport, and operating costs, and that psychological support is available on request.
- Norris-Ongso no longer holds an Australian legal practising certificate and faced disciplinary action by the Victorian Legal Services Commissioner in 2019.
- The baby Alexis Bella Danna was granted Australian citizenship after two months due to delays in paperwork, following media and political intervention by Senator David Pocock.
- Global Surrogacy has rebranded to KinPath Surrogacy, and Norris-Ongso has three children born to two surrogate mothers with his husband.
- The McCanns were added to a monitored group chat with Martinez, and Norris-Ongso claimed it was illegal for them to contact her independently under Australian law.
- Martinez’s health insurance expired 2.5 months after birth, though Norris-Ongso initially claimed it lasted three months.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Norris-Ongso accused McCann of becoming 'angry,' causing him to reduce communication and threatened the McCanns and THEAGE with legal action.
- The McCanns named the baby Alexis Bella Danna in Martinez’s honour.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Martinez said her doctor was changed after the first doctor placed her on bed rest, but Norris-Ongso denied that her doctor was ever changed.
- Martinez claimed her symptoms (nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, bleeding, and pains) were dismissed by staff, while Norris-Ongso said medical records showed she did not present with serious symptoms at her 25-week scan.
- Norris-Ongso initially claimed surrogates’ health insurance was continued for three months after birth, but later admitted it expired 2.5 months after birth, which could be extended upon request.
- Martinez said she was made to hand back her blood pressure monitor and leftover medication, and her medical treatment ceased after signing parental rights, while Norris-Ongso denied that her medical care was terminated.
- Norris-Ongso said delays in citizenship paperwork were caused by McCann’s 'own actions' after she contacted the Department of Home Affairs, while McCann said Norris-Ongso failed to file paperwork accurately and stopped responding to calls.
Source Articles
The baby broker: A ‘disposable’ surrogate, her vanishing contract and a family stranded
The McCanns paid a six-figure sum for their baby, but the woman who carried her allegedly suffered under the Australian man who brokered her body.
The baby broker: A ‘disposable’ surrogate, her vanishing contract and a family stranded
The McCanns paid a six-figure sum for their baby, but the woman who carried her allegedly suffered under the Australian man who brokered her body.