A father in Florida is engaged in a custody battle for his daughter, who he was initially told had died at birth by the child’s mother. However, he later discovered that the baby had been put up for adoption without his knowledge, Daily Mail reports. 

Brandon Marteliz, has been engaged in a custody battle since discovering that his daughter, Amiya, was alive and well. 

In Florida, a judge ruled in October that Marteliz’s consent for adoption wasn’t required, as he hadn’t supported the baby. The appeal time has lapsed, and 2-year-old Amiya stays with her adoptive parents.

Marteliz said the day of his daughter’s birth he received a text message from the mother, informing him that their child had died from sudden infant death syndrome. He reportedly lost contact with the mother for around three weeks. Marteliz was mentioned as a

“man who may have interest in the minor child”

in the legal filings, but he soon discovered that his daughter was under the care of the Heart of Adoptions, a private agency in Florida. 

Because Marteliz and the mother were not married, his parental rights were not required at the time of the adoption. He was not listed on the baby’s birth certificate, and he had not registered as a putative father, which would have given him legal rights as an unmarried father.

In the same month that his daughter was born, Marteliz registered and filed a petition to establish paternity for his child.

“I am willing to do whatever it takes to be given custody of my daughter and be in her life. I am willing to pay whatever form or support or cost it takes,”

he told the outlet.  

In May 2021, it was stated by Marteliz during the court proceedings that he had not been informed about the mother’s adoption decision.

He also denied the claim that he did not provide financial support during the pregnancy.

“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.”

#Clique, what are your thoughts?