In 1988, after controversially carrying a child for an anonymous US couple for compensation, Kim Cotton established Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy, or COTs. To ensure this process is as seamless as possible, organisations including COTs advocate altruistic, rather than paid surrogacy. In 1991, Cotton volunteered to be a surrogate for a couple who were her friends. “I was able to share it directly with the intended parents. They were at the birth. One baby was handed to each parent and it was fantastic,” she recalls. In September 2016, COTS marked a milestone when it’s 1000th baby was born thanks to its ‘surrogate ‘matchmaking’ service.
