Imagine surviving cancer and enduring the emotional and financial toll of infertility and surrogacy—only to face a legal system that denies you full parental rights to your own biological child.
That was the reality for Rachael Lang, an intended parent from Michigan. After surviving cancer at just 26, Rachael and her husband turned to surrogacy to grow their family. Their daughter, Delaney, was born through a gestational carrier. But due to Michigan’s outdated surrogacy laws, Rachael and her husband were not listed on Delaney’s birth certificate. Instead, the surrogate’s name appeared in their place.
For nearly two years, the Langs fought a painful legal battle to adopt their own biological daughter—a process no parent should have to endure.
Rachael’s story is not unique. She shared the experience of another intended parent, Tammy Myers, who also turned to surrogacy after a cancer diagnosis. Tammy and her husband had twins through a gestational carrier, but Michigan law forced them to undergo a 23-month adoption process to gain legal rights to their children.
These stories highlight the devastating impact of Michigan’s former surrogacy ban, which criminalized compensated surrogacy contracts and left countless families in legal limbo.
Michigan Family Protection Act: A Legislative Milestone
But now, change has finally come.
On April 1, 2025, the Michigan Family Protection Act officially went into effect, repealing the 1988 Surrogate Parenting Act and decriminalizing surrogacy contracts in the state. Michigan was the last state in the U.S. to criminalize surrogacy, and this legislative victory marks a monumental shift for reproductive rights and family-building options.
The new law allows for:
- Compensated surrogacy agreements
- Legal protections for intended parents, surrogates, and children
- Streamlined processes for establishing parentage without adoption
- Recognition of families formed through IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies
This is more than a legal win—it’s a victory for love, family, and reproductive freedom.
Why This Matters
No parent should have to fight for the right to be recognized as their child’s legal guardian. Thanks to the tireless advocacy of families like the Langs and the Myers, and the passage of the Michigan Family Protection Act, future parents in Michigan will be spared the trauma of legal uncertainty.
Read more about the legislation here.
Let’s continue to raise our voices and support reproductive justice. Share these stories. Advocate for change. And stand with families everywhere who dream of building a future through surrogacy.
