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A Ukraine surrogacy clinic has delivered its 80th wartime baby since Russia invaded the country two months ago.
BioTexCom has been caring for surrogate mothers and newborn babies in a bomb shelter and apartments next to its clinic in Ukraine's capital Kyiv.
The company is working with volunteer medics, Warriors Without Borders, to deliver the children safely to their parents across the Polish border.
As it marked the 80th child born, it released a video of one of its surrogate mothers reassuring expectant foreign parents that they were safe.
"The clinic resettled us to a safer place," one of the mums said.
"First we were offered to live in a bomb shelter, located in the clinic. We stayed there in the bomb shelter for a while and then we moved to an apartment next to the clinic so that it would be easier to reach them.
"So, if we needed any help, they could evacuate us immediately. Now everything is fine, it's calm and settled."
The fertility clinic has vowed to unite parents with their newborns as soon as possible.
"It is hard to realise that it has already been two months since the beginning of the war," it said.
"Eighty children were born at BioTexCom during this time. BioTexCom continues to take care of the babies and does everything to unite families with their kids."
US charity Warriors Without Borders has been given an ambulance by Sweden and is gradually moving the babies to safety across the border.
Legal teams around the world are working to help parents to gain access to their children because the babies need to be documented in the birth register. They also have to be issued with a passport so that they can be taken out of the country and their parents recognised as legal guardians.
While parents wait anxiously to meet their newborns, the clinic is reassuring them that their surrogate mothers are safe.
"We are constantly in touch with our surrogate mothers," it said.
"Those who are in Kyiv are accommodated in safe shelters. BioTexCom has also organised apartments and bases for placing surrogate mothers in the regions where it is relatively safe.
"Our surrogate mothers stay in the apartments close to the clinic so that if they need any help, we can promptly provide professional assistance. We are glad to host all mothers who would like to come."
BioTexCom currently has about 600 pregnant surrogate mothers, and at least one child is born every day.
Ukraine is one of the few countries in the world to allow mothers to carry babies for foreigners as a commercial practice.
It is estimated up to 3,000 children are born every year in Ukraine for clients outside the country, including in China, the United States and the EU.
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
