TPPN MEETING MAY 8, 2012

The Third Party Parenting Network will gather again on May 8th at 7:30pm.     Professionally led by Nancy Kaufman LCSW, these small group discussions have been lively, rewarding and truly helpful to those who participate. Join us to hear the experiences of others, and, if you wish, share your story and questions. First-time participants and partners are encouraged to attend. The Third-Party Parenting Network (TPPN) is a network of parents who have built (or are working on building) their families through ovum donation, embryo donation, sperm donation, or surrogacy.  TPPN provides the opportunity for parents to connect, share their stories, receive support and learn from each other about the issues that are unique to the experience of Third Party Parenting, such as disclosure, siblings and  genetic origins. It has been our experience that meeting regularly, over time with the same group of people builds a level of trust which enables a deeper exploration of what it is like to be a parent dealing with these issues.   TPPN Spring 2012 Schedule :        May 8 June 5 All meetings are held at: 7:30 – 9:00 pm 1430 Second Avenue (between 74/75th St.) Suite 109 New York, NY 10021  212-772-1200 Fee: $20 per person/$30 per family

NYT: One Sperm Donor, 150 Sons,The DSR,ASRM Ethics Committee and more

By JACQUELINE MROZ
September 06, 2011

http://nytimes.com/2011/09/06/health/06donor.xml

From the UK-BioNews - Improve donor recruitment: listen to donors

While I'm not looking to sugar coat the issue (but looking to usurp the accusations coming in my direction anyway;) I would also look at how patient satisfaction differs across various sectors to see how this compares. Its all relative as they say.
Compensated or not, I expect all medical patients to be treated with kindness, respect and good care. I would be devastated beyond consoling to ever find that someone was harmed due to negligence or out of fierce profit motives on my behalf. The world is not perfect, regulation of the fertility industry may or may not ever happen.
People usually come to any life-cycle decision, such as whether to donate or receive, with a fair amount of thought behind them and expectations going in. Our medical system leaves a lot to be desired by any patient/consumer. To paint a picture and have phrases constantly out there (but just to be clear, NOT in this article from Bio News UK, but in the previous donor article linked to on this blog from the NYTimes Motherlode blog) such as "used and forgotten", does not help anyone. It really doesn't. Least of all, my kids.


http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_102800.asp?dinfo=YNph1tXOsnQ6BdCg7jV2xd6s

AMY DEMMA ON THE FILM EGGSPLOITATION

FROM AMY'S BLOG. 


MY FIRST WRITING ON EGGSPLOITATION (AS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FERTILITY AUTHORITY) by Amy Demma,Esq.

I am writing today to prospective parents considering egg donation, to the parents of donor conceived children and to donor candidates. I want to address the claims made by and in support of “Eggsploitation: The Infertility Industry Has a Dirty Little Secret” a documentary soon to be screened on Capitol Hill by the Center for Bioethics and Culture.

Since word of this film came to our community, my colleagues and I have been talking about the young women portrayed, each alleging grave side-effects suffered, they claim, as a result of their respective egg donation experiences. “The young women interviewed in this film talk about suffering from strokes, brain damage, internal bleeding, or infertility after the procedure. Some ended up with cancer. Others nearly died from complications of the surgery done to retrieve the eggs” says Chuck Colson, Founder of the Colson Center for a Christian Worldview.

My colleagues and I are comparing notes, we are sharing our respective histories of working, likely, in a collective sense, with thousands of egg donors, we are worried that the correlations alleged in the film between dire health consequences and egg donation will impact how hopeful parents (and even successful recipient parents) regard this family building option. We are concerned that donor candidates will become alarmed.

While it would be unfair to the women interviewed to question the truthfulness of their stories, I can emphatically state that in my close to ten-years of working with egg donors, I have never known a donor to report a stroke, brain damage, a diagnosis of cancer or a near-death experience. None of my colleagues had any such stories to share, either. Certainly and unfortunately, we are all aware of the potential of ovarian hyper-stimulation as well as other possible post-cycle health issues. But do know that those of us who practice responsibly take seriously our obligation to make donor candidates aware of potential side-effects and we trust, too, that the physicians, nurses and mental health professionals will review, in detail, all possible risks before a donor is allowed to proceed.

Wesley J. Smith, a compensated consultant to the producers of “Eggsploitation” writes with hyperbole in his article “A Preventative Against Biological Colonialism” that “donors are not patients in the traditional sense…rather, they are means to an end for the real patients of the clinics…donors may be viewed as a resource to be harvested and then forgotten. Indeed, the film documents how donors quickly become out of sight and out of mind.”

And Colson continues: “If (donors) express any concerns or reservations (about the process), according to the young women interviewed in the film, they are pressured and even guilt-tripped into continuing.”

I not only find both Mr. Smith’s and Mr. Colson’s comments distorted, I question their points of reference. Most clinics, in my experience, treat donors with enormous regard, with tremendous compassion and are very careful to assess whether or not a donor meets the standard of “informed”.

What can you do if you are considering egg donation (either as a recipient or a donor)? Ask questions. Talk to your agency about what information is made available to donor applicants about the process. Ask what the clinic’s donor education program looks like. Ask about agency and clinic practices regarding the documenting of an applicant’s health history in order to assess whether or not she is an acceptable candidate. If you are a donor applicant, ask if the agency or the clinic can connect you with previous donors so that you can inquire about their experiences. Find out from both the agency and the clinic how many donors may have suffered medical complications. Be pttro-active in gathering information. I suspect, if you are diligent in your fact-finding, that both donors and recipients will find responsible programs that prioritize a donor’s well-being and take good care should she have need for follow-up.

See the film if you must (and as a side-note, consider the agenda of the organization releasing it) but please do not let this documentary dissuade you from a process you otherwise thought might be right for you.

Amy Demma, Esq.
www.lawofficesofamydemma.com
Amy.demma@lawofficesofamydemma.com
Amy Demma is a New York licensed attorney practicing in reproductive law. Amy was the founder of Prospective Families, an agency now affiliated with The Fertility Source Companies

Support Group and Events Listing for Fall/Winter 2010:

Support Group and Events Listing for Fall/Winter 2010:


HOLD THE DATE: NYC GATHERING WORKSHOP NOV 14,2010. DETAILS TO FOLLOW. Anyone (peer or professional) interested in leading or suggesting specific topics for small roundtable discussion groups at this event please let me know.

The NYC Gathering Womens Dinner in Midtown Mon Sept 13 (CHILDRENS BOOK REVIEW-discussion led by Psychologist and Donor Mom, Dr. Nancy Freeman Carroll), Mon Oct 18, Tues 11-16, Mon 12-13 saxel95@aol.com. 516-967-7430, 5:30-7:30pm.


Long Island Resolve Peer-Led Support Group-Third Thursdays Monthly -Sept 16,Oct 21, Nov 18, Dec 16, 7-9pm. Saxel95@aol.com, 516-967-7430.

Tuesdays -Judith Kottick,LCSW -Montclair NJ,Support Group for Donor Parenting Judykottick@comcast.netTuesdays 9-14,10-26,12-7.
Weds-Midtown-Family Building Network for Donor Conception and Surrogacy-Support Group with Patricia Mendell, LCSW, Pmendell@aol.com 9-8,10-20,11-17,12-15,1-19 from 7-9pm.


Weds-Anne Malave, PHd-Support Group for Women Exploring Egg Donation-2nd and 4th Weds of the month, 7-8:30 pm, afmalave@aol.com ,212-787-1304.


Tues-Upper West Side-Sept 14, Oct 12, Nov 9, Dec 14,Support Group, Elizabeth SIlk, LCSW, 212-873-6434 , Nancy Kaufman, LCSW, 212-772-1200 or thirdpartyparenting@yahoo.com.


Thursdays-Midtown Not strictly Third Party Reproduction, open (free) drop-in group Carolyn Berger, LCSW. at Batzofin Fertility Center in Midtown on the 1st and 3rd Thursday each month, 6-7:3pm. cnberger@optonline.net 914-834-6396.