Resurfacing from all my travels and I have some news!
November 6, 2009 | By: Elizabeth
I have been off the blog travelling to various meetings for reproductive professionals, including ASRM and moderating a panel for the American Bar Association’s A.R.T. Committee addressing insurance issues in gestational carrier arrangements. I learned tons (for other posts) but came home exhausted and overwhelmed and of course the office was happily insane with new business. Of course the travelling and stress of long hours, on and off planes, in and out of cars, running through (or trying to walk through) convention centers, and tons of work meant my back went out . . . and I wound up in bed staring at the ceiling last weekend. But everyone needs a break — just wish mine had been on a beach in some tropical location. 😉
But I have been very productive in my absence with many new things to bring to the blog . . . first and foremost the e-Book on Egg Donation is almost done!!! Can you believe it! Kristen, my marketing guru, is gearing up for a big marketing campaign to let the world know that the first in my series of the Nuts and Bolts of A.R.T.: The Egg Donation e-Book is going to be coming to a computer or store near you very soon! Now’s the time to get in and get your free copy . . . email us at Info@Storklawyer.com and tell us you want a copy of The Egg Donation e-Book. We will add you to the mailing list when it’s available so you can download your copy. It will also be available (not immediately) in kindle format. I can’t believe we’re finally on the cusp of releasing this book that I have been working on for what feels like forever. WooHoo! By the way, it’s written for both intended parents and prospective egg donors.
Also in the news . . . on January 4th, 2010, The Stork Lawyer Connection will officially open for business. For years I have wanted to start my own egg donation agency but couldn’t reconcile myself to certain issues I have with the existing egg donation agency model. The Stork Lawyer Connection is a unique agency, with a new way of bringing donors together with intended parents. Our website is almost done, our staff is together, and we’re so excited. I am so excited! Keep an eye out for our press release, and for information on The Stork Lawyer Connection coming to a mailbox, doctor’s office, or computer near you!
Congrats to Ms. Samantha Hill, the newest associate in my law office, who found out yesterday that she passed the New York State Bar Exam! Sam was an intern in my office during law school and joined us when Danielle took a leave of absence. Sam, I am very proud of you! Rumor has it that another former intern passed the bar as well . . . so our congratulations also go out to Ms. Sarah Thomas . . . character and fitness forms are on their way ladies! CONGRATULATIONS SAM AND SARAH – YOU DID IT – YOU PASSED THE BAR!
There are lots of infertility and adoption events going on right about now. The RESOLVE of the Bay State Chapter is holding it’s annual conference this weekend. We send some goodies up for the auction, but anyone reading in the Boston area should head over to the conference (Nov 7th). We hope to be there in person next year, but this year with the conference coming on the heals of my trip to Montreal to speak at the American Bar Association, and attend the 65th Annual Meeting of ASRM in Atlanta, we just couldn’t do it. Those goodies we sent are pretty awesome though. Free consultations on adoption, a free egg donation contract, free signed copies of The Infertility Survival Handbook and The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Adoption . . . I hope we made up for not being there in person. Concerned Persons for Adoption is having their annual conference (also the 11/7) in New Jersey at Rutgers University. I wasn’t able to attend that event either, but we did send handouts on what you need to know about third party assisted reproduction and adoption in NY and NJ and an offer for copy of one of my books.
I will be speaking and have an exhibition table at the annual APC Conference, held this year in Brooklyn, NY at St. Francis College on November 22nd. I will be speaking on Adoptive Breast Feeding and Marketing and Targeting in Adoption: how, when and where to find a birth family.
We’re also working on changes to the Stork Lawyer website. All the web site design for The Stork Lawyer Connection has me wanting to freshen up the Stork Lawyer site as well (plus we have to add all our new staff!!).
I am off now to post a general blurby blog and to work on the website for The Stork Lawyer Connection. Oh yeah, I have homework for my coach too (maybe something to blog about)! And another sweater to knit for a client . . . TGIF!
Breathe Liz, just breathe!
Filed under: Current Affairs
Tags: Announcements, Egg Donation, The Infertility Survival Handbook, The Stork Lawyer Connection, The Ultimate Insider's Guide to Adoption
Denise says:
Please,
do not call it “Egg donation agency” if you intend to charge for the eggs. It is wrong to call a donation when you ask money. It degrades the very core of what donating and giving mean.
Now, if you want to have a true egg donation agency, I can only say praises to you!
My suggestion to you though would be to begin a business of matching people to share an IVF cycle. This is done in countries where people cannot afford the IVF (many and many cases in US and I am one of them) and where the egg sale is prohibited. This is a beautiful thing. Two women helping each other to achieve a dream. Way better than the business egg sales done here. Have you thought about it?
On December 5, 2009 at 2:04 am
Liz says:
I want to be clear about something from a legal perspective. Egg donation agencies do not “sell” eggs. First of all, it is illegal to sell genetic material. Egg donors receive compensation for their time, effort, pain and suffering. Egg donation agencies charge a fee for their service in locating egg donors and for the services they provide in connection with egg donation process, often that includes matching an egg donor with an infertile person/family. Every agency is different, operates differently and charges different fees so I cannot and will not discuss what agencies do and what they charge. I know my agency will work differently than a lot of other agencies, but my ultimate goal as with all agencies, is to help people build families. I bet if you did a poll of all of the egg donation agencies out there, you would discover that the majority of them are owned by former egg donor recipients, donors, or people who experienced infertility.
Thank you for pointing out that shared cycles are a great way of reducing the cost of an egg donation cycle and many agencies (mine included) will help people with arranging a shared cycle. Many clinics have shared donation programs (I believe Shady Grove in MD is actively promoting a shared donation program but almost any clinic will help with this).
My agency, and all the others out there, receive a fee for working hard to help families have a baby. We are NOT selling eggs, NO ONE is selling eggs. Selling eggs is illegal, and if you need or want a legal explanation of why egg donation does not involve the “sale” of eggs, shoot me an email and I will put you on the list of people who have requested a copy of my free eBook on Egg Donation. It will be available very soon and it will only be free for a limited time. The eBook discuss virtually every aspect of egg donation from both the donor’s and the recipient’s viewpoint, including why egg donation is legal and why donors receive compensation. It also discusses shared cycles and how to go about arranging a shared cycle.
But please, let’s be clear, egg donation agencies are not paid to sell eggs, nor are egg donors selling their eggs. And every person involved in the donation process from the agency to the donor to the doctor’s involved, have a shared or common goal: for the recipient parent to have a family.
On December 5, 2009 at 1:14 pm