An amazing saga !!
“My heart and soul says Poonam you are the only one who can help Gudiya to go home. Always and forever grateful to you.” – a Grandma
“Hello Poonam, You are my hero. I just think about all the time. Thanks from heart every second for helping Gudiya to come home. Shall I call you now. With love.” – a Grandma
A baby girl born thru surrogacy at India, for Indian origin (US settled) Parents & Grandparents. Surrogate baby’s birth is registered on natural father & mother. Due to family discords, mother refuses to sign the baby’s passport application form. She laments grand parents for overruling her dissent to surrogacy. The agent had promised lots of workaround and bit of fleecing. The natural parents remain oblivious of the baby. No way out, the Grandmother shifts from US to India. Babysits for more than 1 year, in despair but hope. Grandparents are clueless of the maze, but compassionate.
Grandparents engages Poonam. Loooooooonnnnng & many sob stories and family discords. The visible strong face is of Grandmother. She is raising the baby in an indifferent environment, all by herself. The Grandma cries, wipes and stands up. Always strong and hopeful, polite & grateful, humble and smiling. Someone, who has been an active Stage artist; and here in dismay for so many months together. Her every visit to our office made us cry too.
Poonam is firing salvos from her 30 years experience on Citizenship / Family matters. Baby is growing almost 15 months. Each legal process is falling apart. Family mediation failing. Diminishing options.
And we enter the Covid-19 era. Flights freeze, embassies scuttle to handle emergencies. Departments close. Lockdown at India. No hope for next 3-4 months to even resubmit the application or affidavits or…… Remaining strong, the Grandma. With the baby in lap, she is hopeful and positive.
Poonam has not given up yet. Her brain is spinning. Just 2 more emails. Lo and behold; baby gets approval for US passport. Excitement, but no means to travel back to US. No one has handled Covid like situation before, but professional like Poonam knows what-when-where-how.
During this COVID lockdown, baby and Grandma arrive at LA.
Ofcourse the compassion and professionalism of Poonam did the magic.
But, the backbone of this case was GRIT of the Grandma. We SALUTE her !!
(May good sense prevail on the Natural parents)
