Who Is Shani From Surrogacy? Netflix Cast

Who is Shani from The Surrogacy, and What is the Netflix Show About? 

Shani has gotten more popular for her character in The Surrogacy, a Netflix series. Shani Lozano is cast as Yeni Santillan, the indigenous woman who is pressured into surrogacy, to save her father. The show is set in 2004, in Mexico, where surrogacy is still illegal. This does not stop Julia and her husband Carlos, who is an heir to a powerful company – Huizar Pharmaceuticals, an influential and corrupt family from seeking their perfect baby through surrogacy. Yeni Santillan does not plan on becoming a surrogate. She is forced into it because she desperately needs money to save her father, Mubu, from an unjust prison sentence after he defended his daughter from an attempted carjacking. It turns out that this was staged by the Huizar family, who then proceeds to coerce her into carrying Carlos’s child. 

Months after giving birth, Yeni finds herself holding a newborn in a public square. The baby she gives birth to is abandoned by the Huizar family because the baby is not perfect enough for the family’s matriarch, Nora. Eventually, when Yeni realizes what is going on and then threatens to take legal action, she ends up becoming entangled in the corruption and lies of the Huizar family. The emotionally charged series is likely to resonate with the viewers due to its portrayal of situations and emotional conflicts. 

While the cinematography of the show is not exceptional as it is filmed like a soap opera. However, it has an emphasis on raw emotions, uncomplicated characters, and a structure that does not leave much room for visuals. There are 24 episodes of The Surrogacy on Netflix; each episode is between 30 and 40 minutes long – which makes it a great dip in and out of if the person has a busy life or if they have free time on their hands, it is easy to binge on in one sitting. The reviews remain divided on Rotten Tomatoes, with some fans hoping for a second series

Surrogacy is a growing phenomenon globally. The treatment is a type of artificial reproductive technology, which is an intervention for couples that have tried other forms of fertility treatments with no results. The practice is also being made popular by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and others who have gone through the process of having children. In some cases, it is the only way for couples to fulfil their desire of having biological children of their own. They need a surrogate, usually a local of whatever country of choice, as seen in The Surrogacy, a Netflix show where Shani is cast as Yeni.

What is surrogacy?

Surrogacy is the practice where a woman who is referred to as the surrogate becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby that she then hands over to another woman or couple that cannot have children. They are referred to as the intended parent or parents. There are two types of generally recognized surrogacy. They are the traditional and commercial forms of surrogacy. 

The traditional or altruistic form of surrogacy is the type where the woman is artificially inseminated with sperm from the intended father or a donor. This creates a genetic link or a biological relationship with the baby because her DNA constitutes half of the baby’s DNA. This type of surrogacy is not widely practised due to the legal issues that may arise due to this genetic relationship. 

On the other hand, commercial or gestational surrogacy refers to the procedure where the egg from the intended mother or a donor, is fertilized by sperm from the intended father or a donor to create embryos. These embryos are grown in the lab for a few days, then one or two are transferred into the uterus of the surrogate, and the rest are frozen. In this type of surrogacy, there is no genetic relationship between the baby and the surrogate, so she cannot legally claim the baby after delivery. Surrogacy is a complicated process, and it usually has a lot of steps that need to be carefully taken, to ensure that all the parties involved in the process make the best choices. This will include psychological assessment, mental profiling, extensive counselling and independent legal advice. 

Controversy around surrogacy and surrogate mothers

Due to the rising popularity of the practice, the idea of surrogate mothers has changed and expanded in the last decade. More countries have been left with no choice but to introduce it in the list or scope of artificial reproductive technology that they are using. However, a lot of countries have also banned surrogacy as well, due to the abuse and misuse of surrogacy that is happening in their country and other parts of the world. This has led to the rise of international surrogacy, where intended couples from countries where surrogacy is banned seek treatment from countries that continue to allow it. 

Countries like Georgia allow surrogacy, but there are restrictions in place to prevent exploitation. This seeking of overseas medical treatment for their surrogacy needs is usually offered by international medical health travel agencies or meditour agencies. This is a form of health tourism or medical tourism.

The awareness of surrogacy 

There have been several promotions around surrogacy, coming from celebrities who have used surrogacy to have children, and shows that have been created to explain the process around the surrogacy process. One such show is called The Surrogacy on Netflix. More fans are becoming aware of the Mexican drama on Netflix where a woman is left abandoned with her newborn son after previously agreeing to be a surrogate mother. 

What stages are there in the surrogacy procedure?

It is crucial to be properly appraised of the steps that one has to follow to carry out a successful surrogacy treatment. These steps include:

• Initial consultation with the surrogacy agency
• Providing or sourcing for the egg and sperm that will be used in the surrogacy treatment
• Choosing the surrogate
• Fertilization and creation of the embryo
• Embryo testing and assessment
• Embryo transfer process
• Gestation or maternity
• Childbirth
• Transfer of legal parenthood

There are important considerations from an ethical point of view that should also be taken into account. It is crucial to know how free the surrogate is in making her choice, if there exists any exploitation in the relationship between the clinics and the surrogates, and how to minimize those risks.