€125,000 raised for baby with Down Syndrome whose parents refused to take him from surrogate

More than €125,000 has been raised to help a Thai surrogate mother care for her baby after his parents refused to take him when they discovered he had Down Syndrome.

Pattaramon Chanbua, from Chonburi province, south-east of Bangkok, was recruited by an anonymous Australian couple through an agent to act as their surrogate for around €11,000.

She carried the couple's twin children through pregnancy, but when the couple learned the little boy had Down's Syndrome, they decided they only wanted Gammy's twin sister.

The baby boy, named Gammy, was left with Pattaramon, 21, and needs expensive medical treatment. He has a heart defect. Pattaramon has said she will continue to care for him, and that she loves him as she does her two biological children.

A GoFundMe camapign called Hope for Gammy was begun to raise funds for his care. €126,850 has already been donated.

Reporter Tracy Vo with Australia's Channel Nine said Australian charity Hands Across the Water had also offered to fully cover the costs of Gammy's care.

Gammy, now six months old, has been in hospital with a lung infection for a number of days and it is hoped he can be moved to another hospital with better facilities.

Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, described the case as an "incredibly sad story". He said: "I guess it illustrates some of the pitfalls involved in this particular [surrogacy] business."