A New York foster family has spoken about the emotional pain of losing twins they cared for from birth after a court ordered their transfer to their biological parents, MaryBeth and Bob Lewis.
Allan and Bri, whose names have been changed to protect the children’s identities, said they had raised the twins as members of their family for almost three years before handing them over in September.
The couple had even prepared a birthday gift basket for the children ahead of their third birthday on November 3.
It contained their favourite toys, books and a dress for the little girl, who enjoyed playing dress-up.
However, they remained uncertain whether the gifts would ever reach the twins.
Speaking to the Daily Mail for the first time about their experience, Bri described the children as deeply loved members of their household.
“From the moment we saw them in the hospital to the minute we had to turn them over. They were our kids and we loved them unconditionally,” she said.
Twins Joined Foster Family as Newborns in November 2023
Allan, an engineer, and Bri, a stay-at-home mother, had more than a decade of fostering experience when they received a call about the newborn twins in November 2023.
The couple, both 40, arrived at the hospital within an hour and subsequently welcomed the babies into their home. They hoped to eventually adopt them.
The twins quickly became part of the family, developing close relationships with the couple’s biological teenage sons.
Their older brothers included them in games, taught them to play tag and gave them piggyback rides.
Allan also installed a miniature basketball hoop for the twin boy, who enjoyed copying his older siblings.
“Our boys play lacrosse, and he would love to grab their lacrosse sticks and put on their lacrosse helmet and pretend he was going out to play catch with the older boys,” Allan recalled.
He added that losing the twins had also been difficult for their teenage sons.
Bri said she regularly took the children on long walks and visits to farmers’ markets, ensuring they were involved in everyday family activities.
“We were there for everything. We didn’t miss a beat with them.
They were in a home where they were doted on. Everyone in our home loves them so much,” she said.
MaryBeth Lewis Accused of Secretly Arranging Surrogacy Without Husband’s Consent
The dispute over the twins began before their birth and centred on allegations that MaryBeth Lewis had arranged a surrogacy pregnancy without her husband’s knowledge or approval.
MaryBeth, now 69, already had 13 biological children with her husband, Bob, 70.
She had also given birth to a daughter in 2020 at the age of 62.
According to reports, she allegedly arranged for two remaining embryos to be transferred to a surrogate in February 2023 without obtaining Bob’s consent.
The embryos had been created using donor eggs and sperm.
Bob reportedly discovered the arrangement approximately eight weeks before the twins were due, after receiving a court order recognising him and MaryBeth as the children’s parents in September 2023.
The New York Times reported that MaryBeth admitted signing her husband’s name on the surrogacy agreement.
During a September court hearing conducted over Zoom, she allegedly accessed a separate account under Bob’s name, kept her camera switched off and responded to the judge by grunting.
Bob Initially Reported His Wife to Authorities
After discovering the circumstances surrounding the surrogacy arrangement, Bob reported his wife to the authorities.
MaryBeth subsequently faced approximately 30 criminal charges, including allegations relating to the surrogacy process and attempted kidnapping.
The attempted kidnapping charge was later dropped. Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker described the allegation as a “novel charge” when speaking to the Daily Mail.
A temporary protection order issued in 2023 prevented both MaryBeth and Bob from contacting the twins, who were placed with Allan and Bri shortly after their birth.
According to the New York Times, MaryBeth returned home from the hospital with two empty car seats.
However, Bob later reconsidered his decision to report his wife, reportedly becoming concerned that the legal battle could destroy their family and expose them to substantial legal expenses.
He subsequently told a social services investigator that he and MaryBeth had agreed to raise the twins together.
The couple also signed a new surrogacy agreement bearing Bob’s genuine signature, confirming their intention to become the children’s parents.
Judge Rules Lewis Couple Are the Twins’ Legal Parents
The legal proceedings eventually shifted in favour of the Lewises.
On October 20, 2025, Judge Mathew K. McCarthy ruled that MaryBeth and Bob were the twins’ rightful legal parents, reaffirming an earlier determination made before the allegations of fraud emerged.
Three days later, MaryBeth’s criminal charges were reduced to three misdemeanours after Bob testified in her defence, according to District Attorney Baker.
Bob told the court that he had been comfortable with his wife representing him during the surrogacy proceedings and had not intended to report her.
MaryBeth pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to offer a false instrument for filing.
She was ordered to pay a $250 fine and register with the New York State DNA Registry.
The ruling also directed that the children be transferred into the Lewises’ custody.
However, Allan and Bri’s lawyers sought a stay from an appellate court, temporarily delaying the transfer while they challenged the decision.
Foster Parents Lose Appeal as Twins Move to Biological Parents
MaryBeth publicly challenged the children’s placement with the foster family, claiming that they had been taken illegally.
Speaking to the Daily Mail several weeks after the October 2025 ruling, she said she wanted the children returned.
“I have children out there and I want them back,” she said.
“They were basically kidnapped from DSS.”
Following the appeal and a court-ordered hearing in May 2026, Judge McCarthy reaffirmed the Lewises’ parental status on July 15, 2026.
The twins were subsequently removed from Allan and Bri’s home and transferred to the Lewises in September.
The foster parents have since been exploring further legal options with their attorney, Bob Flores.
Flores questioned how the court reached its decision while considering the children’s welfare.
“The big question is how did the court reach the decision it reached if it was looking at the question of what is in the best interest of the child,” he said.
Foster Family Left With Children’s Belongings After Separation
The transfer has left Allan and Bri struggling with the absence of the children they had raised since November 2023.
Photographs shared with the Daily Mail showed empty toddler seats where the twins previously played and coloured, as well as a training bicycle and toys that remained unused around the house.
Bri said the final hours before the children were taken away were particularly painful.
The couple also expressed concern about the effect of the separation on their biological sons, who had developed close relationships with the twins.
They now do not know whether they will have another opportunity to see the children.
MaryBeth Refuses to Discuss Twins’ Adjustment to New Home
When contacted by the Daily Mail on Thursday and asked how the twins were settling into their new home, MaryBeth responded critically to the newspaper’s previous coverage.
“Oh, you wrote a terrible story about me,” she said before ending the telephone call.
The Steuben County Department of Social Services declined to comment on the children’s current circumstances.
Meanwhile, Allan and Bri remain uncertain about whether they will ever see the twins again.
Through tears, Bri said she wanted the newspaper’s account of their experience to serve as a record of the affection they had for the children.
“If we are never to see them again I want them to be able to read your words and know we love them,” she said.
