The children, all of whom were taken into protective custody, range in age from two months to 13 years old
Twenty-one children were taken into protective custody in Southern California after a group of surrogate mothers from Texas to Florida were allegedly tricked into carrying children for one couple over the course of several years.
Though their intent in recruiting multiple surrogates is unclear, the couple reportedly sent some of the children into foster care and were temporarily arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment and neglect.
Police in Arcadia, CA, said the children range in age from two months to 13 years old, most of whom are babies or toddlers. Their legal parents, Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, deny all accusations of wrongdoing.
Xuan and Zhang created a surrogacy agency called Mark Surrogacy, which is listed in public records list as being headquartered at their home in Arcadia. Surrogate moms believed they were carrying a baby for the couple due to their infertility. The women then discovered they were all carrying children for the same couple, some at the same time.
Kayla, a 27-year-old from Texas, told KTLA 5 News that she was matched with the Southern California couple through Mark Surrogacy. “I love being pregnant but was done growing my own family, so I thought what better way to experience pregnancy at the same time as grow their family,” she said.
After a successful embryo transfer through IVF, she gave birth to the baby on March 13. Only two months later, however, she learned the baby was no longer with Xuan and Zhang, but had been placed into foster care. “It was something I never would have expected to happen—something almost unbelievable unless you’re living it,” she said.
She discovered later that the baby she carried was not the only one who had been taken from the home and placed in protective custody.
In early May, police in Arcadia launched an investigative into claims of child abuse against the couple. Officers had reportedly already visited the home when a two-month-old baby was hospitalized with head trauma. Police alleged the baby had been abused by a nanny, and the parents delayed seeking medical treatment for two days.
The couple was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment and neglect with warrants served on May 9, though they were later released. Police said Zhang was able to show she is the legal mother of all 21 children that were removed by the Department of Children and Family Services.
Though Mark Surrogacy has reportedly filed paperwork recently to terminate the company, at least one surrogate has said she is currently pregnant with another of the couple's children.
“We are carrying for Mark Surrogacy, and we are 26 weeks,” the Pennsylvania woman said.. “It really hit hard when all of this came through.”
“Any accusations of wrongdoing are misguided and wrong," a text message from a phone associated with Zhang reportedly said. "We look forward to vindicating any such claims at the appropriate time when and if any actions are brought.”