Mary Beth Whitehead Quotes

A collection of quotes by Mary Beth Whitehead.

Mary Beth Whitehead is best known for her involvement in the landmark surrogacy case that captured national attention in the 1980s. Born on January 25, 1957, in New Jersey, USA, Whitehead was a housewife married to Richard Whitehead with two children of her own. In 1984, the couple agreed to be surrogate parents for William and Elizabeth Stern, a couple struggling with infertility.

Whitehead underwent artificial insemination and became pregnant with a child using William Stern's sperm and an anonymous donor's egg. However, after giving birth to a daughter named Sara in March 1985, Mary Beth Whitehead decided she could not bear to part with the child. She fled to Florida with her daughter, seeking legal refuge.

A highly publicized custody battle ensued, known as the Baby M case. The legal battle between Whitehead and the Sterns raised significant questions about surrogacy, reproductive rights, and the rights of birth mothers. Ultimately, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Sterns, leading to the first legally recognized gestational surrogacy contract. Mary Beth Whitehead was granted visitation rights but lost custody of her daughter.

The Baby M case had a profound impact on the legal and ethical considerations surrounding surrogacy. Mary Beth Whitehead became a controversial figure, with some sympathizing with her desire to keep her child, while others criticized her actions during the case. Whitehead's involvement in the Baby M case ignited debates about reproductive ethics and defined the legal framework for surrogacy in the years that followed.