BECOMING a mum for the first time is supposed to be magical, but one woman has been left in tears after a mistake was made on her child’s birth certificate.
Proud parents Grace Bingham, 20, and her partner Ewan Murray, 21, were overjoyed when they welcomed little Lilah into the world last month.
But when they came to register the birth five weeks later they were shocked to discover she had been listed as male on her birth certificate due to a blunder.
Grace admitted she reviewed the certificate at the time but overlooked the mistake and signed it, attributing her oversight to a lack of sleep as first-time mum.
But they have so far been unable to amend the error on five-week-old Lilah’s records – despite getting in touch with national registration bosses.
Grace, of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Notts., said: “It’s been a nightmare and I’ve not stopped crying since.
“As first-time parents, we were very excited and, admittedly, a bit overwhelmed – especially due to the lack of sleep.
“We focused on ensuring that all the names were spelled correctly and didn’t expect such a professional error to happen.
“At the moment our newborn daughter is a male according to the government. I don’t have a son, I have a daughter.
“This could cause significant issues for our daughter throughout her life, as it would imply she is transgender when she is biologically female.
“If she chooses to identify differently later in life, that is her decision. But at just five weeks old, she cannot make that choice.
“It’s unfair for her birth certificate to say male, which could negatively impact her in various aspects of life, such as school, jobs, and relationships – due to a mistake that is not her fault.
“We feel wronged by the system regarding this error, and the only way to properly address it seems to be by bringing it to parliament‘s attention.
“What will happen when she applies for a passport, or a job and gets married?
“We do not feel like we’ve been treated fairly. She’s been failed by the system already and she’s only a few weeks old. I’m devastated.”
The mistake happened when the pair went to register Lilah’s birth at Sutton-in-Ashfield Registration Office in Nottinghamshire last Wednesday (13/11).
Grace and Ewan were informed that in order to rectify the mistake, they would need to pay £99.
Grace said she is concerned even after correcting the error, the birth certificate would still list Lilah as male, with a small note indicating the sex was changed to female.
The couple have since been trying to contact Nottinghamshire Register Offices and the General Register Office to no avail.
They have also got in touch with Ashfield MP Lee Anderson for assistance.
Mark Walker, service director for place and communities at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “We are very sorry for any distress caused by this error and will pay for the correction fee.
“We are working with the family to put this right and will continue to support them throughout this process.”
