tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33096446002703235562024-03-13T05:03:59.110-07:00OUR STORY BEGINS AT HOMEResources,Information & Insights on Third Party Reproduction and Parenting by Sara AxelUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger402125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-65063319937540950342015-05-19T06:30:00.000-07:002015-05-19T07:20:53.138-07:00PVED NYC Meeting Recap 5.17.15Sunday's NYC PVED Meetup was fantastic. PVED Hosted their first ever luncheon in NYC and Marna Gatlin, Founder and CEO, had her first visit to NY. I hope NY was as kind to Marna as she was to us. PVED.ORG is THE resource for third party reproduction and parenting. <br />
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I first met Marna 13 years ago on a yahoo group called MVED, Mothers via Egg Donation. We became part of a small community of family-builders. We had each other to laugh with, cry with, coach and encourage. Marna went on to form PVED, a non-profit, and I went on to form The NYC Gathering. <br />
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The first presenter on Sunday was Amelia (Amy) Demma who sits on the PVED board. Follow your heart on your family building journey but seek legal counsel and have the appropriate contracts in place. Amelia can help you in NY State or help you find an attorney in another state. She specializes in Embryo Donation and has experience in all facets of third party reproduction.<br />
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Amelia also mentioned legislation which is being proposed in Albany by Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan. Due to New York's laws on surrogacy agreements, the senator and his husband had to have their daughter in California.<br />
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Hoylman and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, sponsor the Child-Parent Security Act (A.6701/S.4617), which would create legal requirements and conditions for paying someone to carry and birth a child. I believe the bill also covers egg donation. <br />
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The next presenter was Carole Lieber-Wilkins of LAFAMILYBUILDING, also on the board at PVED. Carole is the parent of child #11 conceived through egg donation in the 1980's. She is also an adoptive parent. She adapted the model of talking to her child about adoption to talk about egg donation. Carole drove home the point that the parents of donor-conceived are the only parents, the donor is a donor, another person but not the parent.<br />
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A resource for literature for kids and parents is the DCN, Donor Conception Network. They have books for sale as well as a series of free downloadable articles called Telling and Talking, broken down by age group.<br />
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Marna wrapped things up by sharing her story as a parent to a 15 yr old son conceived via egg donation and her passion for helping others on a similar path. She used an anonymous donor and a decade later asked her clinic to contact the donor to see if she would be open to contact from Marna and family. The answer was YES and they have met in person and become close. She also recommends the Donor Sibling Registry which also connects donors and families, as well as families to each other who might have genetic siblings through shared or repeat donor cycles.<br />
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Marna is available to answer questions, consult on family-building, and support you on your journey. PVED offers a number of forums for contact with others going through or have been through the process, and so much more.<br />
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Thank you again to Marna, Amelia and Carole. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-83169464926507544072015-04-23T05:07:00.003-07:002015-05-28T12:35:45.488-07:00Monthly Support Group Meeting led by Patricia Mendell Thursday June 4, 2015<span lang="EN"></span><br />
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The decision to parent with the help of donors/surrogates involves multiple choices. Many parents are unsure whether they should tell their children about their conception. Even for those who make the decision to tell, the uncertainty of how and when to begin this conversation can often result in years passing by and children not being told about their genetic origins. Fear of "doing it wrong" or "being rejected" by their children seems to become the biggest roadblocks to talking and sharing. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-31381961736842651072014-09-16T17:45:00.000-07:002014-09-16T17:46:45.907-07:00Chapter twoIn the new school, mom is now married. She is asked by new friends where is your real dad and she says he's in Europe .
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<br>Sara Axel
<br>516-967-7430
<br>Sent from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-35354352063048043242014-09-16T08:43:00.000-07:002014-09-16T08:45:44.545-07:00My So-Called Family by Courtney Scheinmel<b>One of my 10 yr old girls is an avid reader and picked this book up from the tween section at our library. She hasn't started reading it so I did. I'll recap and review here as I go. </b>
The inside cover says the girl in the book is Sperm Donor Conceived and searches for a donor sibling through their Sperm Bank Registry.
<b>Chapter One reveals that the girl is in seventh grade, daughter of a choice mom, she knows and understands the story of her conception. She has always lied to her friends that her father lives in Europe so that she wouldnt be ''different''. Word gets out about the Sperm Donor and the kids in school tease her, calling her ''science experiment''. She is happy to be relocating. </b>
My reaction-This will be my kids first encounter with negative attitudes about ivf or donor (the book doesnt say which part the kids are making fun of). Sad. We also used an anonymous donor, with no registry at our clinic. I joined the DSR but have not pursued trying to make any connections there. Sad not to have identifying info to give my kids. My feeling is that I am their mother, the donor is a "genetic other" to quote Diane Ehrensaft from "Mommies, Daddies, Donors, Surrogates". If my kids want to seek out this connection I dont have a problem with it but it did take me a long time to come to terms with it. Now I regret the anonymity altogether.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-82453742159611207922014-06-18T17:26:00.001-07:002014-06-18T17:26:18.899-07:00Fwd: Making choices from a place of love or fear?<div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> June 18, 2014 at 9:58:04 AM EDT<br><b>To:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Making choices from a place of love or fear?</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><a href="https://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/blog/">https://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/blog/</a><br><br> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:10pt">Since participating in the Katie Couric Show in which an egg donor meets her donor daughter for the first time, I've been mulling over, and simplifying this issue down to the basics. I have these thoughts…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><b style=""><span style="font-size:10pt">Making choices from a place of love or fear?</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt"><br> <br> <br> Getting to spend time with Janet, Jim, and Brittan before, and after the Katie show was inspiring. Because Jim has a genetic connection to his daughter, I was more focused on Janet, Brittan's mom, as many of the non-genetic parents in donor families seem to struggle much more with the idea of their children connecting with donor relatives. <span style=""> </span>Decisions about donor conception, including the ones about connecting to unknown relatives, can be complicated, but I suggest we can simplify these decisions down to just two choices, love or fear.<br> <br> When looking at the choice that mom Janet made, to open up her life to her egg donor, I see it as choosing between love and fear. Fears might include complicating your life, or opening your family up to a situation that might be out of your control. The truth is that as your child grows up and heads into the world, these concerns, as well as a plethora of others, are realized regularly, in our everyday lives of raising children. So we can keep our kids safe, at all cost, or give them opportunities to expand themselves in the world, and learn about their own power, strength, and their ability to open themselves up to love.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:10pt">Certainly, when faced with opening our lives to unknown genetic relatives, we might feel fear, confusion or worry. We can make choices solely based on these feelings. We can let our feelings of insecurity as parents hold us back. <i style="">What if my child likes them better? How will the dynamics of our family be changed? What if my child realizes that I haven't been a "perfect" parent? </i>None of us have been "perfect" parents- and meeting the donor isn't going to out this fact (those with teenagers can count on them to do this!).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:10pt">We have the opportunity in these situations, to make our choices coming from a place of love, instead of from fear. We can choose to see the opportunities in reaching out and connecting- in expanding our child's, and our own sense of family. We can be open to this new idea of family and see how it actually might strengthen our relationship with our child, not threaten it in any way. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:10pt">When we watched Janet, we saw a confident and strong parent. Did she have fears and hesitations?<span style=""> </span>Yes, most certainly. Did she realize that the benefits for her child would largely outweigh any concerns she might have had?<span style=""> </span>It sure appears so. We watched Janet be empowered as a parent, and witnessed her confidence, love, and support. <span style=""> </span>She had the grace to not only meet, but to completely embrace her egg donor JoLana, on national television no less. We felt her sense of gratitude, and wonder, as she looked into the eyes and held the hand of the woman who made it possible for her to have her beautiful daughter. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">Janet rose to the occasion, and was therefore empowered in her role as parent to Brittan.<span style=""> </span>She put the needs and desires of her child (to seek out and connect with her egg donor) above those of herself and this is the ultimate sacrifice that parents make for their children.<span style=""> </span>It is also the greatest gift we can give to our children, and to ourselves. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size:10pt">"There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life." ~ John Lennon</span></i><i style=""><span style="font-size:10pt"></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span style="font-size:10pt"> </span></i></p> <br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div style="font-size:13px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"> <span><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;display:inline">First 3 segments of Katie can be seen here: <a href="http://katiecouric.com/2014/06/11/the-search-for-my-egg-donor/">http://katiecouric.com/2014/06/11/the-search-for-my-egg-donor/</a></div> <br><br>Wendy Kramer</span><br><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span></span></a><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span>www.donorsiblingregistry.com</span></a><br> </div><div style="font-size:13px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"><a value="+13032580902">303-258-0902 (Office)<br></a></div> <font><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span><font style="font-family:Arial" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. <br>One is roots; the other wings." - Hodding Carter</font><br> <br></font></div><font><a href="https://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/resource-library/New%20Book" target="_blank">Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor Conceived People and Their Families</a><br></font><div> <div><font> </font><br></div></div></div></div> </div> </div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-65925986518512741992014-06-03T06:06:00.001-07:002014-06-03T06:06:15.665-07:00Fwd: June 12th Katie Couric Show- Egg Donor Meets Teen Offspring<div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> June 3, 2014 at 8:13:22 AM EDT<br><b>To:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>June 12th Katie Couric Show- Egg Donor Meets Teen Offspring</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The piece will feature a 16 year old girl and her parents meeting their egg donor, and her two daughters, for the first time. Very emotional and it shows how important these connections can be - for all involved. <br>Please forward to anyone who might benefit from seeing this type of a meeting. It's important for prospective parents to actually see offspring who long to know about the invisible sides of themselves, and how rewarding these connections can be- for not only the children, but also for the donors and parents. <br> <br>This family was profoundly moved by the opportunity to meet each other 2 months ago, and they continue to re-define and expand their new family. As more stories like this get out into the public, and with growing numbers of clinics and agencies writing the DSR into their contracts between egg donors and recipients to establish contact right from the start, these types of connections will be much more common. <br><br>Check your local listings for exact times (usually at 3:00) and ABC channel. <a href="http://katiecouric.com/on-the-show/"> http://katiecouric.com/on-the-show/</a><br><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Best wishes,<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Wendy<br></div><div style="font-size:13px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"> <br><span><br>Wendy Kramer</span><br><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span></span></a><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span>www.donorsiblingregistry.com</span></a><br> </div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div style="font-size:13px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"><a value="+13032580902">303-258-0902 (Office)<br></a></div> <font><span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span><font style="font-family:Arial" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. <br>One is roots; the other wings." - Hodding Carter</font><br> <br></font></div><font><a href="https://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/resource-library/New%20Book" target="_blank">Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor Conceived People and Their Families</a><br></font><div> <div><font> </font><br></div></div></div></div> </div> </div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-81801471863667853322014-05-15T18:39:00.001-07:002014-05-15T18:39:14.258-07:00Is It Important to Know Sperm or Egg Donor Identity? | Psychology TodayBy Dr Nancy Freeman Carroll
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<br><a href="http://m.psychologytoday.com/blog/contemporary-psychoanalysis-in-action/201405/is-it-important-know-sperm-or-egg-donor-identity">http://m.psychologytoday.com/blog/contemporary-psychoanalysis-in-action/201405/is-it-important-know-sperm-or-egg-donor-identity</a>
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<br>Sara Axel
<br>516-967-7430
<br>Sent from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-78201186652477208312014-02-06T15:39:00.001-08:002014-02-06T15:39:18.197-08:00The Baby-Making Business: on the front lines of Toronto’s booming, semi-legal surrogacy market | torontolife.comWhat effect will calling third party reproduction a "baby-making business" have on my children. Yes, medicine is a business but it pains me how insensitive people and business can be.
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<br><a href="http://www.torontolife.com/informer/features/2014/02/03/baby-making-business-surrogacy-market-toronto/">http://www.torontolife.com/informer/features/2014/02/03/baby-making-business-surrogacy-market-toronto/</a>
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<br>Sara Axel
<br>516-967-7430
<br>Sent from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-81674052962136188512013-09-01T05:56:00.001-07:002013-09-01T05:56:37.675-07:00Fwd: NEW DSR TV SERIES COMING THIS NOVEMBER!<div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> September 1, 2013, 8:46:03 AM EDT<br><b>To:</b> Sara <<a href="mailto:saxel95@aol.com">saxel95@aol.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>NEW DSR TV SERIES COMING THIS NOVEMBER!</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"><span class="">MTV News & Docs announces a new docu-series! <span class="">Six episodes of the compelling new one-hour docu-drama Generation Cryo will explore the issues faced by a new generation of kids coming of age who were conceived via anonymous sperm donors and are redefining what it means to be a family. The series will document the journey of Breeanna, a 17-year-old only child, who recently logged onto the DSR and learned that she has at least 15 half-siblings all fathered by a man none of them know. Now, Bree's on a mission to meet all of her half-brothers and sisters and lead them on a nationwide search to find their biological father.</span></span> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-tca-press-tour-mtv-generation-cryo-donor-reality-show-,0,4558835.story"><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)">July 27, 2013 LA Times article!</span></a><div class="gmail_extra"> <br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:13px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"> <span><br><br>Wendy Kramer</span><br><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span></span></a><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span>www.donorsiblingregistry.com</span></a><br> <a value="+13032580902">303-258-0902</a></div> <span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span><font style="font-family:Arial" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other wings." - Hodding Carter</font><br> </div></div><br></div></div> </div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-67950470379679891952013-08-31T19:30:00.001-07:002013-08-31T19:30:19.095-07:00Upcoming TV Show focuses on Donor Conceived<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>From Wendy Kramer- of The Donor Sibling Registry- we also have a tv show coming out this fall that focuses on a 17 year old donor conceived girl who meets many of her half siblings, while also searching for her donor. I think you will find it interesting as we show many of the mixed feelings of both the donor kids, and the parents. <br><br><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-tca-press-tour-mtv-generation-cryo-donor-reality-show-,0,4558835.story">http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-tca-press-tour-mtv-generation-cryo-donor-reality-show-,0,4558835.story</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><br clear=all><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-36989337549576467662013-08-31T19:28:00.001-07:002013-08-31T19:28:05.530-07:00Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor Conceived People and Their Families<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Mixed feelings but glad to promote Wendy Kramer’s outstanding work in the field.</p><div><h1>Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor Conceived People and Their Families<o:p></o:p></h1><div id=node-top><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><p> <o:p></o:p></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=554 style='width:415.5pt'><tr><td colspan=2 style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><img id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://images.penguingroup.com/Avery/FindingOurFamilies/FindingBorder.jpg"><o:p></o:p></p></td><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td></tr><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype","serif";color:#008CB2'>The first comprehensive book for children born through donor conception and their families</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype","serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype","serif";color:#0404B4'>An estimated more than one million people have been born in the U.S. through donor sperm or eggs, including Wendy Kramer’s son. Realizing the unique concerns of being or parenting a donor-conceived child, Kramer launched what would become the world’s largest database for connecting donor-conceived people, the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR). </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype","serif";color:#0404B4'>Finding Our Families</span></i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype","serif";color:#0404B4'> provides additional support for this growing community. With compassion and insight, the authors draw on extensive research to address situations families face throughout a donor-conceived child’s development, including the search for a biological parent or half-sibling, and how to forge a healthy self-image. </span><o:p></o:p></p></td><td width=250 style='width:187.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><br><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter" /> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" /> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" /> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" /> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" /> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" /> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" /> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" /> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" /> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" /> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" /> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" /> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" /> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" /> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" /> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='position:absolute;margin-left:113.8pt;margin-top:0;width:165pt;height:165pt;z-index:251658240;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:0;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:right;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical-relative:line' o:allowoverlap="f"> <v:imagedata src="http://images.penguingroup.com/Avery/FindingOurFamilies/FindingBook.jpg" /> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=220 height=220 src="http://images.penguingroup.com/Avery/FindingOurFamilies/FindingBook.jpg" align=right v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"><![endif]><o:p></o:p></p></td><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td></tr><tr><td colspan=2 style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><br><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype","serif";color:#DF7401'>PREORDER NOW: <a href="http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781583335260,00.html?Finding_Our_Families_Wendy_Kramer%22" target="_blank">Penguin.com</a> • <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Families-First---Its-Kind-Donor-Conceived/dp/1583335269/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376330420&sr=8-1&keywords=finding+our+families%22" target="_blank">Amazon</a> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Palatino Linotype","serif";color:#DF7401'><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-our-families-wendy-kramer/1114980110?ean=9781583335260" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> • <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Finding-Our-Families/Wendy-Kramer/9781583335260?id=5649152160054" target="_blank">Books-a-Million</a> • <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781583335260" target="_blank">IndieBound</a> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p></td><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td></tr><tr><td colspan=2 style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>If you are thinking about having a baby through donor conception, this book is for you. If you are a donor conceived person, this book is for you. If you are a parent raising a child who came to you through the help of an egg or sperm donor, this book is for you. If you are a medical or mental health professional, helping people build their families through donor conception, this book is for you…</span></em><o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>With wise, compassionate, practical and innovative advice, Kramer and Cahn guide readers through the ever unfolding world of donor conception. They take on the challenges of identifying language to describe new definitions of family and address the complexities—and rewards—that come when people search for donors and other genetic connections. Finding Our Families is that rare book that you will read and return to again and again over time, appreciating and understanding it in different ways as you explore and discover new forms of kinship. </span></em> -Ellen Glazer LICSW, Co-Author, "<em>Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation</em>" <o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/sites/default/files/files/Glazer%20Review-%20Finding%20our%20Families.docx" target="_blank">Click here to read Ellen's full book review!</a><o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'>***<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>Finding Our Families isn’t just a good and important book – it’s a necessary one. </span></em>-Adam Pertman, President of the Adoption Instititute, Author, <em>"Adoption Nation" </em><o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'>***<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>This gem of a book is based on the unique experience of the founder of the Donor Sibling Registry, Wendy Kramer, who has heard from members of thousands of families who owe their existence to donated sperm and/or eggs. Kramer and Cahn have written a heartfelt, practical, easy-to-read, and step-by-step book that is indispensable for all members of such families. With the aid of numerous first-person accounts, the book describes what, when and how to tell your child about his or her genetic origin, how to accept and process the usual desire of offspring to learn about their roots, how to proceed with the search for biological relatives, how to reach out to the donors, and what happens afterwards. Finding our Families includes empathetic and useful sections about meeting the donors, connecting with half-siblings and their families, recognizing the potential outcomes, and handing rejection of efforts to connect. A chapter written specifically for offspring is very useful. This book is must reading for all members of the family.</span></em>- Jennifer P. Schneider, M.D., Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'>***<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#CC6600'>Finding Our Families is a must read for anyone in any part of a process related to donor insemination. Whether you've just opened the door to an idea about using donor sperm or your donor children are grown, this is a book for you. Comprehensive, thoughtful and full hearted, this book addresses the myriad of issues that can arise in donor families. </span></em><br> <o:p></o:p></p></div><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#CC6600'>It is an inclusive, sensitive map to guide anyone touched by the joys and complexities of donor insemination. The authors pull from the amazing anecdotal work Kramer has done, as well as research she's spearheaded in this arena. Three cheers for this groundbreaking work and may it reach a professional audience, as well as the families they write about.</span></em><span style='color:#CC6600'> </span>-Susan Frankel, MFT<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em>***</em><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>This ground-breaking book affirms what donor-conceived people have been telling us (in media interviews, at seminars and support groups, on blogs and internet forums, etc): they want, need and deserve to be told the truth about their genetic origins and the right to decide for themselves whether to seek contact with their donor and/or half-siblings. And thanks to Wendy Kramer's hard work, dedication and innovation in creating the Donor Sibling Registry, many donor-conceived people are now able to "find the other 50% of</span></em><i><span style='color:#CC6600'><br><em>the pieces of the puzzle that make up who I am".</em></span></i><br> ­ - Diane Allen, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Infertility Network, Canada<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'>***<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>Finding Our Families gently stretches us to consider the experiences of all those involved in helping make our families. As a psychotherapist, a lesbian, and the mother of a donor-conceived child, I finished this book as a more compassionate and forgiving person. There is nothing more powerful than the truth.</span></em><span style='color:#CC6600'> </span>–Liz Margolies, Founder and Executive Director of the National LGBT Cancer Network<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'> ***<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>Clearly written and well-organized, this is an indispensable guide for all those who are part of families formed with donated eggs or sperm.</span></em> -Rene Almeling, Assistant professor of sociology at Yale University and the author of <em>"Sex Cells: The Medical Market for Eggs and Sperm".</em><o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'>***<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>The definition of ‘family’ is rapidly changing and Wendy and Naomi's book provides a clear and helpful guide through this uncharted territory. Their advice on communicating with children, by far the most challenging and important aspect of this journey, is compassionate and wise. Thank goodness for this wonderful and much-needed book! </span></em>–Jane Mattes, LCSW, Founder and Director, Single Mothers by Choice.<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'>***<br><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>Wise, honest, informed and reassuring--and written by two deeply respected experts--Finding Our Families is the definitive guide for any parent or child who is part of a family formed with the help of donor conception. The insights are so profound and the guidance so clear-eyed that I would go further and say that the book is a definitive guide for anybody who has a family. An essential parenting book.</span></em> - Liza Mundy, Fellow, New America Foundation, Author, <em>"Everything Conceivable How the Science of Assisted Reproduction is Changing our World"</em><o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'>***<img border=0 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif"><o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>An invaluable resource for anyone searching for their donor or donor siblings through the Donor Sibling Registry. </span></em>-Susan Golombok, Ph.D., University of Cambridge<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'>***<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>You've written a wonderful and much needed book for donor conceived kids and their families! I am impressed with the depth of your insights and I really like the way you have cited the latest research in the field.</span></em><i><span style='color:#CC6600'><br><em>I also like the depth of detail you have gone into with regard to conducting searches for donors and half siblings through your registry.This kind of information, drawing on the experiences of</em><br><em>your members, goes a long way towards demystifying that process and will allay the fears of those who want to make contact with their donors and/or half siblings.</em></span></i> -KimKluger-Bell, LMFT, Author of "<em>The Pea That Was Me</em>" children's book series for donor kids, <a href="http://www.booksfordonorkids.com" target="_blank">www.booksfordonorkids.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'>***<o:p></o:p></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><em><span style='color:#CC6600'>The one thing we as human beings deserve more than anything else is our own, personal truth. Wendy Kramer and Naomi Cahn have long fought for this right, even before it was fashionable to do so. These well-respected advocates for the donor-conceived and their families bring outspoken tenacity and audacious courage to the pages of this significant book.</span>- </em>Corey Whelan, patient advocate and author, The American Fertility Association<o:p></o:p></p></td><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'></td></tr><tr height=0><td width=363 style='border:none'></td><td width=237 style='border:none'></td><td width=4 style='border:none'></td><td width=4 style='border:none'></td></tr></table></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><br clear=all><o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br><br>Wendy Kramer<br><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank">www.donorsiblingregistry.com</a><br>303-258-0902<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other wings." - Hodding Carter</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-11238046428869409352013-08-31T19:22:00.001-07:002013-08-31T19:23:41.000-07:00Infertility and Adoption Support Groups: The Top 5 Benefits, by Joni Mantell<div class="WordSection1">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-10822779074866739222013-08-21T19:25:00.001-07:002013-08-21T19:25:27.751-07:00State law change to help children find donor parent | theage.com.auI don't think the term donor parent is correct. There's a donor and a parent. I agree I'm not the genetic mother of my children but I am their mother. It's complicated .
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<br><a href="http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/state-law-change-to-help-children-find-donor-parent-20130820-2s9ga.html">http://m.theage.com.au/victoria/state-law-change-to-help-children-find-donor-parent-20130820-2s9ga.html</a>
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<br>Sara AxelUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-62920599957037385132013-08-18T18:06:00.001-07:002013-08-18T18:06:36.823-07:00Fwd: Survey of 1700 Sperm Donor Recipients<div>Pdf not attached but see link below. And I love the quote at the end of Wendy's email by Hodding Carter.<br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> August 18, 2013, 7:47:27 AM EDT<br><b>To:</b> Sara <<a href="mailto:saxel95@aol.com">saxel95@aol.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Survey of 1700 Sperm Donor Recipients</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"><div class="im"><div dir="ltr"><span>2013 Reproductive BioMedicine Online: A SURVEY OF 1700 Women who formed</span><br><span>their families using donor spermatozoa</span><br><span></span><br><b><span>The pdf of this paper is attached, and can be accessed on the DSR's Research page:</span></b><br> <span></span><br><span><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/resource-library/dsr-research" target="_blank">http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/resource-library/dsr-research</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>"This paper reports the results of an online survey of 1700 recipients of</span><br> <span>donor</span> <span>spermatozoa conducted by the Donor Sibling Registry, aiming to understand</span><br><span>the</span> <span>perspectives of respondents who had used donor spermatozoa. The survey</span><br><span>examined:</span> <span>choice of sperm bank and donor; reporting of births and genetic disorders;</span><br> <span>disclosure; contact with donor and half-siblings; regulation of sperm donor</span><br><span>activity and genetic testing; and access to medical information. The</span> <span>respondents</span><br><span>formed three groups: single women; women in a same-sex relationship; and</span><br> <span>women</span> <span>in a heterosexual relationship. Some differences between the three cohorts</span><br><span>were</span> <span>observed: pre-insemination counseling; acceptance of donors without medical</span><br> <span>records or with chronic or late-onset diseases; awareness of choice of bank</span><br> <span>and</span> <span>type of donor; and views on the right of offspring to know their genetic</span><br><span>origins. However, important areas of common ground were identified: the</span><br><span>wish by</span> <span>those who had used an anonymous donor that they had used an open-identity</span><br> <span>donor;</span> <span>support for, and willingness to pay for, comprehensive genetic testing of</span><br><span>donors; and desire for access to their donor's family health information.</span><br><span>The</span> <span>implications of these results for policies concerning the use and</span><br> <span>management of</span> <span>donor spermatozoa will be discussed."</span><br><span></span><br><span></span></div></div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:13px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"> <span>Wendy Kramer</span><br><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span></span></a><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span>www.donorsiblingregistry.com</span></a><br><a value="+13032580902">303-258-0902</a></div> <span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span><font style="font-family:Arial" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other wings." - Hodding Carter</font><br> <br></div></div> </div> </div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><survey1700womenspermatozoa.pdf></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-36960380123306012772013-08-05T21:45:00.001-07:002013-08-05T21:45:25.706-07:00Fwd: New paper on Donor Grandparents!<div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> July 11, 2013, 10:53:06 AM EDT<br><b>To:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>New paper on Donor Grandparents!</b><br><br></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"> <div class="" title="Page 2"> <div class=""> <div class=""> <p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'GillSansStd';font-weight:700"> </span></p><p><strong>The Journal of Family Issues, May 2013: <em>A New Path to Grandparenthood: Parents of Egg and Sperm Donors</em></strong>. Diane Beeson, Patricia Jennings, Wendy Kramer. <br></p> <p><em>"...third-party reproduction has implications not only for the donor, recipients, and offspring, but also for the parents of donors, who in increasing numbers are learning that they are the biological grandparents of one, or sometimes many, children born outside of their family. In this article we examine this new path to grandparenthood by reviewing some of the social processes that have led to the emergence of this phenomenon." </em></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'GillSansStd';font-weight:700">Abstract </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'GillSansStd'">Assisted reproductive technologies have engendered new familial arrangements, some of which challenge traditional assumptions about the relationship between biology and social roles. In this article, we report on the first survey ever conducted of parents of former egg and sperm donors. Twenty-two men and women participated in a survey conducted by the Donor Sibling Registry, a worldwide registry facilitating mutual- consent contact among donor offspring, their gamete donors, and other family members. We report on their feelings and thoughts on learning that their child donated gametes and on learning that they have a grandchild (or grandchildren) via gamete donation. We also examine what type of relationship, if any, participants have formed with their donor-conceived grandchildren, as well as their advice to other parents of donors. We conclude with questions and suggestions for future research into this newly emerging terrain of family relations. </span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:13px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"> <span><br><br>Wendy Kramer</span><br><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span></span></a><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span>www.donorsiblingregistry.com</span></a><br> <a value="+13032580902">303-258-0902</a></div> <span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span><font style="font-family:Arial" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other wings." - Hodding Carter</font><br> <br></div></div> </div> </div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-21551943261425898072013-07-11T15:44:00.000-07:002013-07-11T15:46:33.404-07:00Fwd: New paper on Donor Grandparents!<div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> July 11, 2013, 10:53:06 AM EDT<br><b>To:</b> Wendy Kramer <<a href="mailto:wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com">wendy@donorsiblingregistry.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>New paper on Donor Grandparents!</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><div dir="ltr"> <div class="" title="Page 2"> <div class=""> <div class=""> <p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'GillSansStd';font-weight:700"> </span></p><p><strong>The Journal of Family Issues, May 2013: <em>A New Path to Grandparenthood: Parents of Egg and Sperm Donors</em></strong>. Diane Beeson, Patricia Jennings, Wendy Kramer. <br></p> <p><em>"...third-party reproduction has implications not only for the donor, recipients, and offspring, but also for the parents of donors, who in increasing numbers are learning that they are the biological grandparents of one, or sometimes many, children born outside of their family. In this article we examine this new path to grandparenthood by reviewing some of the social processes that have led to the emergence of this phenomenon." </em></p><p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'GillSansStd';font-weight:700">Abstract </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:'GillSansStd'">Assisted reproductive technologies have engendered new familial arrangements, some of which challenge traditional assumptions about the relationship between biology and social roles. In this article, we report on the first survey ever conducted of parents of former egg and sperm donors. Twenty-two men and women participated in a survey conducted by the Donor Sibling Registry, a worldwide registry facilitating mutual- consent contact among donor offspring, their gamete donors, and other family members. We report on their feelings and thoughts on learning that their child donated gametes and on learning that they have a grandchild (or grandchildren) via gamete donation. We also examine what type of relationship, if any, participants have formed with their donor-conceived grandchildren, as well as their advice to other parents of donors. We conclude with questions and suggestions for future research into this newly emerging terrain of family relations. </span></p> </div> </div> </div> <div><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-size:13px;background-color:transparent;font-family:Arial"> <span><br><br>Wendy Kramer</span><br><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span></span></a><a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com" target="_blank"><span>www.donorsiblingregistry.com</span></a><br> <a value="+13032580902">303-258-0902</a></div> <span style="font-family:Arial"><br></span><font style="font-family:Arial" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other wings." - Hodding Carter</font><br> <br></div></div> </div> </div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><Beeson et al 2013.pdf></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-65203060977492126142013-07-11T15:27:00.001-07:002013-07-11T15:27:16.237-07:00Fwd: Nottingham, UK: Donor Conception Network conference, Sept 21<div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Diane Allen <<a href="mailto:DianeAllen@InfertilityNetwork.org">DianeAllen@InfertilityNetwork.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> July 11, 2013, 4:23:53 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> Sara <<a href="mailto:saxel95@aol.com">saxel95@aol.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Nottingham, UK: Donor Conception Network conference, Sept 21</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>DONOR CONCEPTION NETWORK</span><br><span>Autumn Conference</span><br><span>Sat, Sept 21, 10am-4.30pm. Nottingham, UK</span><br><span></span><br><span>Adult Programme</span><br><span>* Your family & the donor: Ken Daniels, author of 'Building a Family with</span><br><span>the Assistance of Donor Insemination'; New Zealand social work professor who</span><br><span>has written more extensively & accessibly about donor conception families</span><br><span>donors & offspring than anyone else worldwide. Q&A</span><br><span>* Morning discussion groups (introductions & an opportunity to talk about</span><br><span>the content of the main morning session)</span><br><span>* DCN 20th Anniversary Film</span><br><span>* Relative Strangers: Petra Nordqvist will give a presentation on her</span><br><span>research project which explores how parents and also wider family negotiate</span><br><span>and experience information sharing about donor conception. Q&A</span><br><span>* Afternoon discussion groups (on the topic of your choice)</span><br><span></span><br><span>Children's Workshops for 8-12yr Olds</span><br><span>For donor conceived children and non-dc siblings who would like to explore</span><br><span>donor conception issues in a fun and age-appropriate way. Facilitated by</span><br><span>qualified and experienced children¹s group leader, Sharon Pettle, and her</span><br><span>team. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Advance registration required.</span><br><span>Registration deadlines:</span><br><span>* Aug 30: children¹s workshop for 13-18yr olds - £25/child</span><br><span>* Sept 6: adult program - £25/adult (£10 unwaged), £10 per 13-18yr old</span><br><span>* Sept 6: childcare, £15/child (free for unwaged)</span><br><span></span><br><span>Please bring a picnic lunch for your family.</span><br><span>Drinks & biscuits available free.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Info/Register: </span><br><span>* 020 7278 2608</span><br><span>* <a href="mailto:enquiries@dcnetwork.org">enquiries@dcnetwork.org</a></span><br><span>* <a href="http://www.dcnetwork.org">http://www.dcnetwork.org</a> </span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-40766430937858482942013-07-11T15:26:00.001-07:002013-07-11T15:26:57.285-07:00Fwd: 'The World of ART', Nov 10, Charleston, SC<div><span></span></div><div><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Diane Allen <<a href="mailto:DianeAllen@InfertilityNetwork.org">DianeAllen@InfertilityNetwork.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> July 11, 2013, 4:23:23 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> Sara <<a href="mailto:saxel95@aol.com">saxel95@aol.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>'The World of ART', Nov 10, Charleston, SC</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>The World of Assisted Reproductive Technology - A Global Approach to Family</span><br><span>Formation in the United States and Abroad</span><br><span></span><br><span>Charleston, South Carolina. November 10 - 12, 2013.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Topics include:</span><br><span>* Egg banking & legal considerations</span><br><span>* LGBT family formation</span><br><span>* Psychological perspectives</span><br><span>* Medical overview, update & legal considerations</span><br><span>* International ART issues including the Hague Conference</span><br><span>* Statutory & case law updates</span><br><span>* Constitutional issues presented by ART</span><br><span>* Marriage, divorce, death & ART</span><br><span>* International coordination among ART professionals</span><br><span>* Ethical considerations in ART</span><br><span></span><br><span>Presented by the:</span><br><span>* American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (AAAA)</span><br><span>* American Academy of Assisted Reproductive Technology Attorneys (AAARTA)</span><br><span></span><br><span>Info/Register: <a href="http://www.aaarta.org/2013_Mid-Year/conference.htm">http://www.aaarta.org/2013_Mid-Year/conference.htm</a></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-26350217686304638762013-07-06T18:12:00.001-07:002013-07-06T18:12:24.201-07:00DSR Research | Donor Sibling Registry<a href="http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/resource-library/dsr-research">http://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/resource-library/dsr-research</a>
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<br>Sara Axel
<br>516-967-7430
<br>Sent from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-92127420236316586762013-06-25T15:34:00.001-07:002013-06-25T15:34:24.190-07:00BioNews - Australian known sperm donor granted parenthood<a href="http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_315706.asp?dinfo=62lA7nKAshha1eT004XzhejJ&PPID=">http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_315706.asp?dinfo=62lA7nKAshha1eT004XzhejJ&PPID=</a>
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<br>Sara Axel
<br>516-967-7430
<br>Sent from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-11345872767743056582013-06-25T15:27:00.001-07:002013-06-25T15:27:49.202-07:00BioNews - Adjustment problems for surrogate-born children are minimal<a href="http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_315674.asp?dinfo=62lA7nKAshha1eT004XzhejJ&PPID=315950">http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_315674.asp?dinfo=62lA7nKAshha1eT004XzhejJ&PPID=315950</a>
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<br>Sara Axel
<br>516-967-7430
<br>Sent from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-7513644570011999292013-06-09T17:56:00.003-07:002013-06-09T17:56:44.341-07:00Fwd: From Amy Demma : RESOLVE's efforts to help pass the NY Child Parent Security Act <div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> "Sara Axel" <<a href="mailto:saxel95@aol.com">saxel95@aol.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> June 9, 2013, 8:45:11 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> "'Sara Axel'" <<a href="mailto:saxel95@aol.com">saxel95@aol.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>From Amy Demma : RESOLVE's efforts to help pass the NY Child Parent Security Act </b><br><br></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>I am supporting RESOLVE's efforts to help pass the NY Child Parent Security</span><br><span>Act and I am hopeful that you will, too. </span><br><span></span><br><span>As you know compensated gestational carrier arrangements in New York State</span><br><span>are currently illegal/ A bill in the New York Assembly and State Senate</span><br><span>seeks to reverse this law and make compensated, gestational carrier</span><br><span>arrangements legal in New York. This means New York residents who choose to</span><br><span>use a gestational carrier (surrogate) to become parents and build their</span><br><span>family can stay in New York to do it! This bill also protects families built</span><br><span>through donor cycles. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Please click through to the below link to show your support for this very</span><br><span>important piece of legislation. </span><br><span></span><br><span><a href="https://secure2.convio.net/res/site/Advocacy?cmd=display">https://secure2.convio.net/res/site/Advocacy?cmd=display</a></span><br><span><<a href="https://secure2.convio.net/res/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id">https://secure2.convio.net/res/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id</a></span><br><span>=463> &page=UserAction&id=463</span><br><span></span><br><span>Warm regards, Amy </span><br><span></span><br><span>Amy Demma, Esq</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Sara Axel</span><br><span></span><br><span>516-967-7430</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-1290011705473364982013-06-09T17:56:00.001-07:002013-06-09T17:56:36.359-07:00Fwd: Resources on Disclosure from Diane Allen<div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> "Sara Axel" <<a href="mailto:saxel95@aol.com">saxel95@aol.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> June 9, 2013, 8:43:27 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> "'Sara Axel'" <<a href="mailto:saxel95@aol.com">saxel95@aol.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Resources on Disclosure from Diane Allen</b><br><br></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Along with a number of other books for adults & children about donor</span><br><span>conception, the books published by the Donor Conception Network (DCN) in the</span><br><span>UK are sold in USA/Canada by our small charity based in Toronto. This</span><br><span>includes their:</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>* My Story / Our Story series of illustrated storybooks for children (3-6</span><br><span></span><br><span>yrs) in 5 separate versions for children born through donor insemination to</span><br><span>heterosexual or same-sex couples or single mothers, egg donation to</span><br><span>heterosexual couples, and double (i.e. sperm & egg) donation or embryo</span><br><span>donation to heterosexual couples</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>* 'Telling and Talking' about Donor Conception booklets for parents and</span><br><span>professionals in 4 separate versions: 0-7 years; 8-11, 12-16, 17 and over.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>There are also 2 professionally-made DVDs, by a DCN member:</span><br><span></span><br><span>* Telling & Talking About Donor Conception - parents and children in 10</span><br><span>families answer questions about their experiences of Œtelling¹ and</span><br><span>continuing to talk together as children grow and change. Features single</span><br><span>women, a lesbian couple and heterosexual couples who used anonymous or known</span><br><span>egg donation, anonymous sperm donation, or double (egg & sperm) donation.</span><br><span></span><br><span>* A Different Story which shows varied positive, thoughtful reflections by 7</span><br><span>young people, aged 7-20, conceived through anonymous donor insemination (DI)</span><br><span>by heterosexual couples and told the facts of their conception at an early</span><br><span>age by their parents.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>For complete details, please see:</span><br><span></span><br><span><a href="http://www.InfertilityNetwork.org/store_dc">http://www.InfertilityNetwork.org/store_dc</a></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Sara Axel</span><br><span></span><br><span>516-967-7430</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-7509076490007285852013-06-04T18:24:00.001-07:002013-12-01T16:35:22.873-08:00Fwd: Next Support Group Meeting with Patricia Mendell, LCSW<div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:ritz469@aol.com">ritz469@aol.com</a><br><b>Date:</b> June 4, 2013, 6:11:06 PM EDT<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:ritz469@aol.com">ritz469@aol.com</a><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Next Support Group Meeting with Patricia Mendell, LCSW</b><br><br></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><font color="navy" size="3" face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <div><font face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;"> <div><font color="black" face="Tahoma, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;">FYI<br> <br> The next Monthly Support Group Meeting will take place on Thursday, June 6, 2013. I hope you will all look at the flyer and give it to anyone you think might gain something from the program.</font></div> <div> </div> <div><font color="black">Please let me know if I can expect to see you there.</font></div> <div> </div> <div><font color="black">Thank you,</font></div> <div><font color="black">Patricia Mendell, LCSW</font></div> <div> </div> <div><a href="mailto:pmendell@aol.com"><font color="black">pmendell@aol.com</font></a><br> <font color="black"><a href="http://www.patriciamendell.com/" target="_blank">www.patriciamendell.com</a><br> </font></div> </font></div> <div></div> <div style="clear: both;"> <div> </div> </div> </font></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div></div></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3309644600270323556.post-74514624253986852132013-06-03T17:08:00.001-07:002013-06-03T17:08:46.687-07:00The Complexity in a Sperm Donation - Modern Love - NYTimes.com<div><div class="original-url">Really sweet article.</div><div class="original-url"><br></div><div class="original-url"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/fashion/My-Husbands-New-Son-Modern-Love.html?pagewanted=all">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/fashion/My-Husbands-New-Son-Modern-Love.html?pagewanted=all</a><br><br></div><div id="article"> <!-- This node will contain a number of 'page' class divs. --> <div class="page" style="font-family: Palatino, Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 1.4; "><h1 class="title">A Choice Not as Easy as It Looked</h1><p itemprop="articleBody">When my husband's friend Maggie asked him if he would donate his sperm to get her soon-to-be wife pregnant, he said he had to ask me first. It's the kind of hypothetical question one might pose at a dinner party: "If your friends, a lesbian couple, ask your husband to donate sperm so they can have a child, would you agree?"</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Hypothetically, without hesitation, I would.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">My husband called me at work, excited about the prospect. Perhaps he sensed the couple's desire to get started right away. I hesitated. I had questions: "Will you go to a clinic and do it into a test tube? Or are they asking you to have sex with her until she gets pregnant? Because one is very clinical and the other seems potentially problematic."</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"No," Ben said. "I give it to them in a Baggie and they use a dropper."</p><p itemprop="articleBody">The turkey-baster method.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">A few years back, Maggie had asked my husband to be a sperm donor when she was thinking about getting pregnant herself.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"Can we do it the old-fashioned way?" he had joked.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">She half-joked back that he was a freak, then dropped it. Until now.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">My husband is the kind of man (like many, no doubt) who is flattered to be asked. What, he might wonder, does the couple find biologically appealing in me?</p><p itemprop="articleBody">I can answer that: He has a great sense of humor, even if his timing isn't always good. He's tall, sturdy, healthy, intelligent and warmly good-looking: in other words, a good biological catch.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">I should know. One night, a few months after we started dating, in the light of a streetlamp, I saw my daughter's face inside his face, and I knew he would be the man to give her to me. Four years later, our daughter was born.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Maggie's request elicited in me an oddly powerful response, the kind that sometimes happens when something feels right even if you don't know why. Although we are married, Ben and I don't have a traditional family. When we met, he was a 20-year-old undergraduate theater major and I was a 29-year-old graduate student. I was also a single mother with two boys and no child support. Naïvely or stupidly (or in that precious place where the two meet), we stumbled into a wild love affair, and shortly thereafter into family life together.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">A few years later our daughter was born, and a few years after that, we were married, surrounded by our three children. For 19 years he has steadfastly loved us all.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">So when the sperm donation proposition came up, it seemed to strike a beautiful biological balance. But instead of following my immediate impulse, I answered, "Yes, but we must first ask the kids."</p><p itemprop="articleBody">One evening as we all sat around the dining room table, my husband explained the situation.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Our daughter, 14, said, "Cool."</p><p itemprop="articleBody">The boys are in their 20s but live nearby and sometimes join us for meals. Both shrugged at first. The younger one stayed quiet. Then the older said, "It's kind of weird, but then again it doesn't really have anything to do with us."</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Perhaps our daughter would be most affected because of her biological relationship to my husband. People search for their biological parents, siblings and children all the time. What if, one day, this potential child wants a relationship with our daughter because he is as much half-sibling to her as the two half-brothers she's grown up with?</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Even as we acknowledged that there was much we could not know about the implications of the decision, we collectively agreed to tell the couple yes. Our daughter scooted her chair back. As she left the table, she said, "Just don't tell me the details about how you are going to do it."</p><p itemprop="articleBody">A few days later, while Maggie waited in the heated car parked outside our house, my husband collected his sample, tucked the Baggie under his shirt to keep it warm, and ran with it through the freezing cold night. I watched from the front stoop as he passed the goods through the car window. "Good luck," he said.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">By the grace of the fertility gods, this one donation hit its mark.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Once the pregnancy took, more questions arose. What would my husband's legal responsibilities be? (None.) What would his rights be? (None, but he would be welcome to hang out.) Who would he be to this child? (A friend.)</p><p itemprop="articleBody">All these agreements were made with no witnesses, no contract, not even a glass of whiskey. There was a discussion about confidentiality. The mothers wanted to keep the paternity secret for the time being.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"Yes, of course," we agreed.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Even when biology is easy, life is complicated. Throughout the pregnancy, Ben visited the couple, but I didn't know exactly what my role was. Mostly, it had nothing to do with me. Still, as the months passed I had more and more questions.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"If I were carrying your baby," I told Ben one evening, "I would fall in love with you. Even more in love than before." I should know, having done it.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"She's a lesbian," he said, "and in love with her partner."</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"But biology," I said.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"Biology what?"</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"What if they break up? What if you fall in love with the child and then with the birth mother? And she decides to raise the child with you since you're the biological father?"</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"What if a piano falls on your head?" he said.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">And then there was Facebook, where the mothers posted news of the pregnancy, followed by many "likes" and congratulations. In subsequent months the birth mother provided details, including near-naked photos of her magnificent growing belly. One day she posted an ultrasound with the announcement: "It's a boy." </p><p itemprop="articleBody">I leaned toward my computer and, for the first time, saw my husband's biological son.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">At first I thought my discomfort was an issue of privacy. While our family had kept our confidentiality agreement, intimate details about the baby and mother appeared daily, sometimes hourly, on Facebook. This was compounded in real life when a few days later, my husband and I ran into a friend of the birth mother's downtown.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"What's up?" she asked, with a twinkle in her eye. She didn't wait for an answer before adding, "I know what's up."</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Soon I realized what was really bothering me: I was done having children. I was also nearing an age when I wouldn't have a choice. Seeing her pregnant belly didn't change my decision, but it did bring this loss to the surface. My feelings were as private and sorrowful as hers were public and celebratory.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">I confided in a close friend. She was silent and then pursed her lips. "I couldn't let my husband do that," she said. "Are you sure you can do this?"</p><p itemprop="articleBody">"Yes."</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Anyway, at this point, I no longer had a choice.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">I ran the scenario by a progressive advice columnist I know. She knit her brow. "I wouldn't do that," she said.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Too late.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Ben and I took a walk in our favorite park and revisited the reason we agreed: We have been blessed with three beautiful children; why shouldn't we help another family have one, too?</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Sometimes you have to leap into the "yes" and let life's mysteries play out, not knowing all the consequences and outcomes. The fact that my husband and I share this crazy perspective might be one of the reasons we have stayed together.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">I remember when Ben's parents met me for the first time, the 29-year-old single mother with two kids at their son's college graduation. I imagine they silently suffered heart attacks. But instead of sitting him down for a serious talk, they let him live his life. They treated me with kindness and respect. Most important, they loved my two boys.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">For all these years, they have been there in ways their biological father's family was not able to be. It's hard to predict who will become a part of your extended family.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">A few weeks before the baby was born, the mothers invited us over to hear his heartbeat. The birth mother was glorious in those last weeks of pregnancy. When she stretched out on the couch, I saw a foot move across the moon of her belly. The midwife placed the ultrasound wand near the boy's shoulder, and the beating heart emerged: my husband's biological child in another woman's body.</p><p itemprop="articleBody">There was a little boy in there whose face was inside my husband's face. And I realized there was one question I hadn't considered: What happens if I fall in love with him?</p><p itemprop="articleBody">Two weeks later, when I held the baby in my arms, I did. I looked into his face, his eyes, his lips, his tiny breathing nose, all entirely his own, and I fell in love with him. I whispered in his ear. I wished him a long, happy, healthy life and all the blessings and mysteries that come with saying yes.</p><noscript> <img src="<a href="http://meter-svc.nytimes.com/meter.gif">http://meter-svc.nytimes.com/meter.gif</a>"/> </noscript><p><nyt_author_id></nyt_author_id></p><div><p style="font-style: italic; ">Lisa Schlesinger, a playwright and professor in Chicago, is working on a collection of essays.</p></div><nyt_correction_bottom><div style="font-style: italic; "><p>This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:</p><p><strong>Correction: June 3, 2013</strong></p><p></p><p>An earlier version of this article misstated the relationship of the author's daughter to her two sons and to the baby of the same-sex couple. The girl is not a stepsister to any of them because she shares a biological parent with each of them.</p><p></p></div></nyt_correction_bottom><nyt_update_bottom> </nyt_update_bottom> </div></div></div><div><br><br>Sara Axel<div>516-967-7430</div><div>Sent from my iPhone<div><br></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0