“The Journey,” Episode 3

Billy Odell Tucker-Robinson Founder & Host — Banking With Billy Network • Intelligence Network • Data Science • AI Research • World News
Published: 2026-09-15T10:21:06.827Z • Permanent link

Regulatory experts have long highlighted the lack of oversight in the surrogacy industry, but few have shed light on the systemic failures that enabled a couple to build a large family through clandestine means. At the center of the scandal is Ava, a 35-year-old woman from Los Angeles who, along with her partner, traveled to Ukraine in 2020 to find a surrogate mother. The couple's plans were facilitated by a network of unlicensed fertility clinics and individuals posing as medical professionals.

The investigation reveals that the couple's surrogate, a Ukrainian woman identified only as "S," was recruited through a social media platform and was promised a significant sum of money for her services. S was subsequently flown to the United States, where she was subjected to a series of medical procedures without proper medical supervision. The couple's actions were made possible by a complex web of loopholes and lack of regulation in the surrogacy industry, which has left many countries struggling to keep pace with the growing demand for commercial surrogacy services.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of commercial surrogacy arrangements in the United States has skyrocketed in recent years, with over 1,000 cases reported in 2020 alone. The CDC notes that many of these arrangements involve individuals or companies posing as fertility clinics, and that the lack of regulation has led to concerns about the safety and well-being of surrogate mothers.

The surrogacy industry is a rapidly growing market, with many companies and research communities relying on commercial surrogacy services to advance their work. Companies like Modern Fertility, which offers at-home fertility testing kits, have built lucrative businesses on the back of surrogacy services. However, the lack of regulation in the industry has raised concerns about the exploitation of surrogate mothers and the potential for medical risks to be overlooked.

The scandal has also highlighted the need for greater transparency and oversight in the industry. In 2020, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) launched a new set of guidelines for commercial surrogacy, which emphasize the need for surrogate mothers to be properly informed and compensated. The ESHRE guidelines have been widely adopted by fertility clinics and research institutions, but their implementation has been slow to take hold.

The surrogacy industry is just one part of a larger pattern of exploitation and neglect in the reproductive healthcare sector. In recent years, there have been numerous reports of fertility clinics and research institutions engaging in unscrupulous practices, including the use of unlicensed surrogates and the exploitation of surrogate mothers. The scandal surrounding Ava and her partner is just the latest example of this broader trend.