Baby Guilherme is the nation’s trailblazer for ‘post mortem insemination’
The first child conceived in Portugal after the death of his father was born yesterday, according to his mother, who spearheaded the initiative that led to a change in the law to allow ‘post-mortem’ insemination.
“Today our world got brighter, Guilherme was born at 11:09 with 3.915 kilos and 50.5 centimetres,” Ângela Ferreira announced over social network Instagram.
The project to enshrine ‘post-mortem’ insemination in the Law on Medically Assisted Procreation (PMA), approved in 2021, was born out of a Citizen’s Legislative Initiative, promoted by Ângela Ferreira, who wanted to get pregnant with her husband who died from cancer in March 2019.
Ângela Ferreira’s announcement, featuring a picture of her baby boy, also included a tribute to her late husband. “Thank you my love for having chosen me for this dream. I love you today and always”.
She continued: “Now I’m going to isolate myself in this bubble of love and enjoy it as much as I can. I could and perhaps should say more, but right now I want to enjoy this endless love”.
According to CNN Portugal, Hugo Guilherme Castro Ferreira was born at the Northern Maternal and Child Centre in Porto.
Before post-mortem insemination was sanctioned, the initiative to change the law sparked hot debate inside and outside parliament. The decree that allows the use of this technique in cases of expressly consented parental projects was approved on March 25 2021, but subsequently vetoed by President Marcelo, and returned to parliament, on the grounds that issues relating to inheritance rights should be clarified.
Six months later, the decree was approved for a second time in parliament, with amendments put forwards by various parties responding to the doubts raised by the head of state, who promulgated the law two weeks later.
Source material: LUSA
