Florida father says he was told daughter died during birth, then mother put newborn up for adoption without telling him

A Florida man is claiming that the mother of his child told him that his daughter died during birth, but that was all a lie. The baby is alive and being put up for adoption without his consent.

“I was told that my daughter passed away,” Brandon Marteliz told WFTS.

Marteliz alleges that the mother of his child told him that their daughter had died from sudden infant death syndrome shortly after her birth in January 2022.

His daughter, Amiya, actually had survived childbirth.

A day after giving birth, the mother put Amiya up for adoption, WFTS reported, citing court documents. The mom allegedly put her daughter up for adoption without telling the baby's father or getting his consent.

Marteliz said he begged the mother to allow him to see his newborn daughter.

Nearly three weeks after the mother told Marteliz that their baby died, the woman allegedly sent him text messages that read: "I have her" and "I got the baby."

Marteliz said, "I felt like, ‘OK, well, I’m the father, I’m her dad, I can take a test, I can prove I’m her dad, my daughter’s alive.'"

The distraught father said he was contacted by a Child Protective Services agent, who informed him that his newborn was alive and being cared for by an adoption agency.

"I found out from a CPS lady that there was a baby that was born, a newborn that was alive. And I reached out to someone that worked for her. The adoption agency that she told me about," Marteliz said. “I felt like okay, well I’m the father, I’m her dad, I can take a test, I can prove I’m her dad, my daughter’s alive."

The adoption agency claimed that Marteliz couldn’t be granted custody of the child because the mother approved the adoption.

The agency also argued that the father had "not paid a fair and reasonable amount of living and medical expenses" related to the pregnancy and birth.

The outlet reported, "Court documents show the adoption agency said the termination of parental rights was not required because they were not married, he wasn't listed on the birth certificate, was not on the putative father registry, a little-known state registry for fathers to claim paternity."

In October, a judge ruled that Marteliz had not provided any financial support to the child, so the mother does not require his consent to put the child up for adoption.

Marteliz pointed out that he purchased baby toys, furniture, and clothes for his child he never met.

“I had books for her, a few toys, tons of clothes. I’m getting ready to give them away because I know they’re not going to fit her anymore," Marteliz said.

Marteliz’s attorney, David Hurvitz, added, "It's very difficult to navigate it, and it’s hard to fight against it, it needs reform."

Marteliz declared, "There’s a real problem, and good fathers are losing rights and losing time."

“There’s a lot of fathers out there that are being robbed, that are good dads, that would — that are great dads. Something needs to be done about this. We need some help. So if anybody can hear us, we need some help," Marteliz proclaimed.

FL dad fights for custody of toddler, claims girl’s mom said she died then put her up for adoptionwww.youtube.com

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