19 Dec, 2010 @ 09:10
1 min read

My festive bundle of joy

EXCLUSIVE by Anatoly Kurmanaev

IT was a mistake that she almost lived to regret for the rest of her life.

But, Michelle Gabbott, 34, has been handed the perfect Christmas bundle of joy – her baby daughter Taeya – after a fraught two month legal battle with social services.

The reunion came after she realised she had made a huge error to give up her new-born child for adoption in October.

The mother-of-three, from La Cala, had actually signed the adoption papers just after labour. “But I quickly realised it was a mistake and I wanted her back,” she told the Olive Press.

“I just had no idea how hard it would be.”

The single mother had made the original decision after struggling to make ends meet with no partner. To make matters worse, the father of the new baby wanted nothing to do with his child.

“It just got to a point seven months into the pregnancy when I didn’t know what to do,” said the woman. “I got into a black hole and decided I had to put the baby up for adoption.”

However, it was during the weeks after the birth that she knew she had to reverse the adoption.

Initially given just one hour a week to visit her baby, she was also treated in, what she claims, was a hostile and aggressive way.

“I begged them to give me more time and cried my eyes out, but to no avail,” she explained.

It was at this point her lawyer Michael Coy stepped in to help.

“I think that social services were hostile because Michelle didn’t speak Spanish,” he explained.

But the social worker assigned to the task insisted she was simply doing her job. “Our job is to care for children whose parents can’t look after them properly,” she told the Olive Press.

Michelle is now taking Taeya back home to Manchester, where she has found a steady job. “I’m finally going home with my baby,” she said.

“It’s going to be a good Christmas.”

Contact Michael Coy at michael.k.coy@gmail.com.

Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)

Jon Clarke is a Londoner who worked at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday as an investigative journalist before moving permanently to Spain in 2003 where he helped set up the Olive Press. He is the author of three books; Costa Killer, Dining Secrets of Andalucia and My Search for Madeleine.

Do you have a story? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es

12 Comments

  1. Me and my husband has anger problems so we have to split cause we can’t live together with are daughter because the socail workers think he at risk. But i am a very good mum and i want to know how can i get my daugther to live with me i mean get full custody.

  2. I’m Michelle the one that this story is about … No one can imagine the heart ache that you go through to give up your own child .. But I fought back I am & always will be a good mum to my beautiful 3 children … Taeya is well cared for and is ahead of her class in nursery … To Rich .. Do you have children ?? You are stereo typing single mothers .. I’m not thick @ have a good education behind me that’s why I manage an office !!!

  3. Did it never occurr to you to discuss having children with this man BEFORE you got pregnant and if you had and he openly displayed his negative attitude to being a father, would you still have gone ahead and had unprotected sex?

    You have 3 children already in an overcrowded world, is’nt that enough, or does none of this play any part in how you look at life?

  4. From reading some of these comments ,guys I know know why god gave the childbirth responsibilities to the woman . What a load of ignorant bigoted heartless people you show yourselves to be .
    Give birth , give baby away then talk … until then shut the ….up

  5. To Stuart !!! How dare you judge me … I was in a relationship with my daughters father up until the point I found that he had also been sleeping with another woman via Facebook !!! The old saying ” it takes 2 to tango” !!! It took my daughters father just 5 mnths after she was born to impregnate someone else .. He now has twins !!! You talk contraception ..your ignorant & arrogant !! Full stop

  6. Michelle I saw u when it happened and u and the best mum I’n the world xxx look at what u have 3 brautfuil kids that are so proud of u xxxx u fought tooth and nail and u got your daughter back xxx and look at u now ;0) a well impressif working strong willed mother xxx couldn’t of happened to a nice person xxx lots of love from
    Spain xx

  7. Reading all these vile comments of people disgusts me. Michelle is my mother and I’m her eldest. My mum is the strongest person I know and she faught long and hard for my little sister.all you judgemental people have no idea what we all went through. My mum is the best mum I could ask for. She is my inspiration and my world. My mum has gave me my brother and sister the best life we could have ever have. None of you know what my mum went through that year. The Spanish social workers are ***** with the English because we don’t talk Spanish. We fought hard and long for my little sister to be reunited us and she is. She is now nearly 3 years old and such a beautiful little young girl. My sister,mum and brother are my life. My mum has done the best thing anyone could have ever done. As for everyone judgementing her I suggest you think about the consequences what we were all going through before you judge anyone.

  8. A lot of these comments really rile me and so many of you aren’t reading or listening to what has been said, already had two children and Taeya was her third!!! Money is tight in Spain which makes things hard and uckily Michelle got Taeya back and ive since had the pleasure in meeting this family and looking after Taeya in a nursery!! She has had one fab upbringing and couldn’t have had a better life so far and, for one, will not stand up for anyone slagging off this woman or family!!! Fortunately, a lot of to you won’t need or have to go through this, so how can to you all be so deep in your judgements?? I for one, am so proud in how Taeya has turned out!!

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