Devastating new blow for Sydney tradie Dan Gaut’s heartbreaking tug of love over his newborn baby daughter – as his US-based girlfriend delivers crushing decision

A proud father has been dealt a new blow in his bid to gain custody of his newborn daughter after his ex-girlfriend reneged on an agreement to hand her over to him.

North Sydney carpenter Dan Gaut was excited about the impending birth until his pregnant girlfriend, Liv, suddenly returned to the United States without him.

She has since rekindled a relationship with an ex-partner and announced she would give the baby up for adoption.

But Gaut’s ex agreed to legally hand over the child to him permanently if he flew to be with her during or shortly after the birth in March.

Now the tradie has revealed that his ex has had a heartbreaking change of heart and has decided to keep baby Ana.

“I feel heartbroken and empty because I am forced to leave America alone,” Gaut revealed in an emotional Instagram post.

‘Liv has changed her mind and wants to keep Ana in the United States and be her primary caregiver.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who supported me on this journey.”

He added: ‘I will use the remaining donations to seek legal representation in Austin and visit Ana as often as I can.

“I still hold firm to the vision of Ana growing up in Australia in the not too distant future.”

Gaut met his ex while on vacation in San Francisco in early 2023, before she followed him back to Australia and began their whirlwind romance.

She told A Current Affair in February that the couple were deeply in love and decided to have a baby together.

“She was like, ‘There’s nothing in Texas for me anymore… all my heart and energy is in Australia,'” he said.

But things changed after she became pregnant. Liv became homesick and planned a quick trip to Texas to be with her support network, she said.

But she chose to remain in the United States. She told Mr. Gaut that she and her unborn baby would never return and that she wanted her child to be adopted at birth.

“She was starting to send me adoption options for people she knew in Texas, and she was sending me the links to the Instagram page,” he told ACA at the time.

“And I said, ‘No, this is wrong, stop it, don’t promise it to anyone.’

Dan flew to the US last month, where he reunited with his daughter and planned to take her home to Australia.

Liv has reunited with her ex-partner and plans to remain in Texas, but he says she had expressed interest in continuing to be a part of her daughter’s life.

“We don’t know what it’s going to be like, but she’s very supportive of me bringing the baby (to Australia),” he told ACA before the crushing change of heart.

TO GoFundMe Mr. Gaut’s friends organized a crowdfunding campaign to help with travel and immigration costs.

“I don’t know how I will do this, but I do know that I will do everything I can to bring my daughter home and shower her with love and acceptance,” Gaut said on GoFundMe.

‘All children should know that they are loved and cherished. I just want to be the best dad I can be. I want to be there every step of the way for my little Ana.’

The fundraiser had raised more than $34,000.