Ana Obregón recently caused a stir when she had a baby girl through surrogacy in the United States. But what’s so unusual about the story is that the baby is conceived using frozen sperm of her late son, Aless Lequio. The birth has generated a heated debate over surrogacy, posthumous reproduction, and new forms of family.
Obregón’s journey to motherhood is motivated by love and tragedy. Her only child had been diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. Her only child, Aless Lequio, had been diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a aggressive bone cancer. He had stored his sperm before undergoing chemotherapy in the hopes of having a family one day. He tragically lost his battle with cancer in 2020 at the tender age of 27. His dying wish before he passed on was to have a child, and his mother vowed to make his wish come true.
Ana Obregón gave birth to baby Ana Sandra Lequio Obregón in 2023 via surrogacy in the United States. The baby is constructed using Aless’s frozen sperm and a donor egg and is thus both Ana’s granddaughter and, in a technical sense, her daughter. Spain’s restrictive surrogacy laws led Ana to turn to the United States, where surrogacy is legal and regulated.
Ana Sandra’s birth has been highly controversial both legally and ethically, particularly in Spain, where surrogacy is not merely banned but also condemned. The Spanish government has reiterated its opposition to commercial surrogacy, describing it as a form of exploitation. While some view Ana’s act as an intensely personal and compassionate act, others view it as being problematic on issues of reproductive ethics, inheritance laws, and the rights of the surrogate.
“She is not my whim or my fancy. She is my daughter’s child, and I will do everything within my power to make certain that she is loved and well looked after,” Ana said in an emotional interview.
Critics also question the ethics of having a child after the death of the biological father, especially when the biological father is not around to help raise the child. However, Ana remains steadfast, insisting that she has done nothing wrong other than carry out her dying son’s wish.
Obregón’s decision has sparked a passionate public outcry in Spain, varying between admiration and indignation. Most sympathize with her, praising her unwavering devotion to her son’s name and applauding her determination to raise his child.
Meanwhile, political leaders and bioethicists have both been critical of the legal status of a grandmother as mother of her granddaughter. The matter is further argued in terms of surrogacy in general, with feminist groups being critical of it on the grounds of commodification of women’s bodies.
