DPM: Mom tries to sell baby so she can go to Disney World

[Winsor]

Mom Sells Baby for $15K Disney Trip: Cops

By Kelly Bayliss, Karen Araiza
NBCPhiladelphia.com
updated 10/5/2011 12:15:25 AM ET


A new mom is in hot water after selling her newborn son for $15,000 so she could take her other two sons on a trip to Disney World, according to court documents.

Bridget Wismer, 33, was arrested at her home in New Castle, Del. after she and the alleged baby buyer, John Gavaghan, 54, of Philadelphia, were caught on a surveillance camera taking care of the last bit of paperwork, according to New Castle County detectives.

The baby boy was born on Aug. 31 and according to court papers, Wismer didn't want the child.

In early September, detectives were tipped off by Wismer's grandmother, according to police. They investigated, but couldn't substantiate the baby-selling accusation. In late September, police got another tip that led them to the place where Wismer and Gavaghan met to finalize the deal.

On Sept. 30, two days after Gavaghan had allegedly taken the 1-month-old boy home, police arrested Gavaghan at his Philadelphia apartment and placed the baby in foster care. Wismer was arrested that same day at her home.

Neighbors were stunned.

"I mean how can you do that," said Iris Phillips. "Instead of selling, she should have given the baby to her sister of someone."

Wismer held back tears Tuesday as she tried to explain what happened.

"My friend was helping me take care of my son that I just had," Wismer said. "He’s always tried to adopt and I couldn’t raise another child.

"I wanted the best for my baby and he wanted the best for the baby and we did it the way we thought we were supposed to."

Wismer and Gavaghan are both charged with Dealing in Children and Conspiracy in the Second Degree.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44771165/ns/local_news-philadelphia_pa/#.Tozwo7I03IU

[Pollock]

Nope, that kid's not gonna need therapy later on when they hear about this. Not any whatsoever. 

[ellie mae]

how do we know it's not exactly like she said it was though?  maybe he really was a friend of hers, maybe he really does want a child more than anything in the world, for truly uncreepy reasons.   maybe it really was a case of a set of friends helping each other out, and a gramma all pissy cause she got "cheated" out of a grandchild.

i dont know, but in my opinion, if all that is the true case, all they did wrong, is get caught.

[Winsor]

how do we know it's not exactly like she said it was though?  maybe he really was a friend of hers, maybe he really does want a child more than anything in the world, for truly uncreepy reasons.   maybe it really was a case of a set of friends helping each other out, and a gramma all pissy cause she got "cheated" out of a grandchild.

i dont know, but in my opinion, if all that is the true case, all they did wrong, is get caught.

You NEVER sell a child for profit. Sorry, that's not how the U.S. works. You can give the baby up for adoption.

[Pollock]

how do we know it's not exactly like she said it was though?  maybe he really was a friend of hers, maybe he really does want a child more than anything in the world, for truly uncreepy reasons.   maybe it really was a case of a set of friends helping each other out, and a gramma all pissy cause she got "cheated" out of a grandchild.

i dont know, but in my opinion, if all that is the true case, all they did wrong, is get caught.

You NEVER sell a child for profit. Sorry, that's not how the U.S. works. You can give the baby up for adoption.

Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

[ellie mae]

must be nice to not need the money.  if i had a friend who desperately wanted a child, and they were wonderfull people and i knew it, i'd have a child for them.  if they want to give me money i desperately need and can do so, so much the better.

it's not really about the money, or for me it wouldnt be.  but fuck, if i had a kid and didnt want it, and my best friend from highschool asked me if she could have it, it's hers.  if she wants to pay off some debt for me, yay me.  i'd have given her the kid anyway. 

the baby dispenser said the guy was a friend of hers, and he couldnt adopt, for some reason.  maybe she thought it would be nice to give the kid to her friend to raise and she could be somewhat assured of progress reports and a "good" raising.

i dont believe for 1 minute they "thought this was the way it's done".  they knew they were being a lil shifty, and personally i dont care IF this guy really was a friend and she really thinks he's a good guy.  i believe her buddy said "i've always wanted a baby and you dont want it.  can i have it?  i have some cash saved..."  and the deal was struck.  honestly, i dont see that much if anything wrong with it.  IF she's really friends with the guy.

i'm not for 1 minute saying women should put "for sale or rent" signs on their ovaries and wombs.  i'm saying that if accidents happen, and they have friends who can take the result and want too, why not? 

i'm saying friends sometimes thank friends extravagantly.

mostly i'd like to know though, why she didnt just name him daddy on the birth certificate?  if she had, he could give her all the money in the world, and he could take the kid... it would have been SO much easier.

[Pollock]

Need the $ - fine, sell your body or make decisions that affect you.

But this involves selling someone else and for all they know, you're selling this kid into the house of a pedo and securing them a world of hurt in the name of the almighty greenback.

Wanna transfer the kid to someone who will care for him/her and get some cash outta the deal? Knock yourself out, but find a way to do it legit and within the bounds of the law. Then everyone is happy.

[ellie mae]

not everyone who is unlucky enough to get pregnant is lucky enough to be able to figure out how to find rich enough friends to make it all on the up and up.

you are correct, she might be "selling" her kid to a perv.  but isnt it just a lil bit possible that she might honestly think she "knows" this guy?  i'm not saying she's right.  not at all. but people sometimes think they "connect" with people online, all the time, and she may not be the brightest bulb on the string.

isnt it even just a lil bit possible the guy may really be a nice guy who cant adopt cause he's single, or gay, or both, or just cause he's older and single...  isnt that even just a lil bit possible?  i mean, c'mon, i know as well as the next that you dont take candy from strangers, but not EVERY adult man is a lurking pedo

[Medium Rare]

I don't know enough about her other than to say that she made a bad decision. Since she made a bad decision I guess the right thing to do is throw her into prison for about 30 years. That way, she can be even more of a burden to society because she'll be right about retirement age with no hope when we turn her loose. I think it would be a waste of time to try and look at her life and figure out where she went wrong and try to correct her behavior.

[Pollock]

Wanna transfer the kid to someone who will care for him/her and get some cash outta the deal? Knock yourself out, but find a way to do it legit and within the bounds of the law. Then everyone is happy.

[ellie mae]

because quoting yourself maker you that much more righter?

to my knowledge there is no "legal" way to make that profit.  there is no legal way to just give your baby to someone you feel is a good person.  the government insists on getting it's dirty lil fingers into it and being sure you're giving the child to a "morally sound" family.

i'm not exactly sure when our government cornered the market on what it morally sound, but they insist on getting involved in what doesnt really have to be their business.

[Medium Rare]

Yes

[Medium Rare]

Yes