A US surrogate mother is fighting for custody of two boys after their Chinese father failed to travel to Florida to collect the triplets she gave birth to in November 2024. Kyla Simpson had agreed to carry the children for Ted Zhou, a single father living in China, who planned to travel to the US after their birth and take them home. However, Zhou was unable to make the trip because of difficulties obtaining the necessary visa and travel documents.
Simpson initially agreed to care for the babies until Zhou could pick them up. The arrangement later led to a custody dispute, with Simpson seeking custody and adoption of the children. The legal battle now concerns Isaac and Solomon, the two surviving boys, after their brother Christopher died from a respiratory infection in August 2025.
Father Unable To Collect Newborn Triplets
Simpson gave birth to Isaac, Solomon and Christopher in November 2024 after agreeing to become a surrogate for Zhou. The triplets were born prematurely at 31 weeks, with the smallest weighing just over three pounds. Christopher and Solomon required ongoing medical treatment, while Isaac was diagnosed with anaemia.
Simpson initially cared for all three babies while Zhou remained in China awaiting the visa and travel documents needed to collect them. During this period, she breastfed the children and provided their daily care.
Approximately five months after the birth, two men arrived at Simpson's apartment in a black SUV, claiming they had been sent to collect the children. According to reports, one of the men told the household: 'We know you have the boys. We have power of attorney.'
Simpson was not home at the time. Her husband, Lincoln, was looking after the triplets and reportedly took them into a bedroom before contacting her. The men left without the children.
Surrogate Mother Seeks Custody and Adoption
Zhou had hired a man known as 'Uncle Kent' to arrange the collection of his sons. The man reportedly assured him that he could organise their transfer, but the attempt to collect the children was unsuccessful.
Simpson contacted the FBI after the attempted collection and later pursued custody and adoption of the boys. She suspected that the arrangement could be connected to a baby-trafficking operation, an allegation Zhou denied. He maintained that he was trying to bring his sons to China.
The case also involved a dispute over the children's legal parentage. Zhou's lawyers argued that he was their legal father and that a California parentage order naming him as their parent should be recognised by Florida courts. Simpson argued that she had become the boys' primary caregiver and had made personal and financial sacrifices to look after them while Zhou remained in China.
Zhou had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the surrogacy arrangement, including medical, legal and agency fees. He also struggled to secure the documents needed to travel to the US and collect the children.
One of the Triplets Dies as Custody Dispute Continues
Christopher died in August 2025 after developing a serious respiratory infection. At the time, Zhou had not yet met his sons in person and had been separated from them for several months. He later discovered that Wan had sent him a fraudulent Florida parentage order. A court clerk reportedly confirmed that no such order existed when the document was checked.
In June 2026, a Florida judge ordered Simpson to transfer Isaac and Solomon to Zhou's legal representatives after recognising his parental rights under a California parentage order. A subsequent court order on 19 August gave effect to the California parentage determination and granted Zhou legal and physical custody of the boys.
Simpson challenged the decision, while Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also intervened in the proceedings, questioning whether the California order should be recognised under Florida law. On 10 September 2026, Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeal agreed to hear Simpson's appeal, leaving the custody dispute unresolved.
Where Are the Two Surviving Boys Now?
The boys were staying with a nanny in Southern California, with arrangements connected to the surrogacy agency. Zhou remained in China and reportedly video-called them almost daily.
Speaking about his separation from his children, he said: 'I don't really believe in love anymore.' He later added: 'That's not true: I think the love from the parents to the children is immortal. It's forever.' The custody dispute remains ongoing as Simpson appeals the Florida court's ruling granting Zhou legal and physical custody of the two boys.
