The World Egg Bank Site

Whenever I meet someone new they ask the standard question, “What do you do for a living”? I say, “I’m a donor recruiter for an egg bank”. They respond with “Oh okay”, which usually follows with a long pause while they process the information, because needless to say it’s not a job you hear about everyday. Finally, they continue with “So…what is that exactly”? Two and half years ago I would’ve asked the same question, then I was offered a position as donor recruiter at The World Egg Bank. Coming into the company I knew the basics – we find egg donors for recipients who cannot have kids, but after becoming an egg donor recruiter I realize that what The World Egg Bank does is so much more than that…

It didn’t take a long time in my position to gain a personal connection to every aspect of my job. Each woman that calls the office asking for “a little information” about egg donation leads to me going into a 5 minute spiel about eligibility requirements, the application process and an overview of what an egg donation cycle entails. You see most people who call think it’s a quick an easy thing to donate; they don’t realize the first time around it takes 2-3 months to complete the screening, doctor’s appointments and medications until one can have the procedure to donate eggs. Many women become overwhelmed when I tell them this information which is understandable, it’s a lot to take in at once. I then open the door for them to ask any question that could help them in their decision because the most important part of my job is to ensure that each woman knows what’s could potentially be in store. Some of them apply and some of them decide to not to proceed, and that’s okay. Egg donation isn’t for everyone. It requires a lot of honesty, time and commitment. Most of all it requires a true desire to help others and a willingness to give part of yourself to help others in need. It is the ultimate act of selflessness…and it’s beautiful.

When a woman applies to become an egg donor I gain insight into their whole life: their career, their education, their hobbies, their personality, their family history. Each answer I analyze thoroughly, but my favorite part of the application is when I get to read their answer to the question “why do you want to become an egg donor”? It’s while reading their answer to this question that I understand where their heart and intentions lye. Hundreds of women apply every month, but I’ve come to find that ones who follow through with the application process and become active are the ones who have 1) given a lot of thought and research into egg donation and 2) have a strong, genuine desire to change the lives of others. These women answer this question with excitement and love. Some tell me about how their aunt has struggled to have a baby so they want to help others who might be in the same situation. Some tell me they do not want children of their own so they want to share the gift of life with others instead of letting their eggs go to waste. Some tell me that they’ve always dreamed of having a family and they would love to help other’s who have that dream too. Some tell me that although they may not be ready for kids right now, they want to partake in an incredible opportunity to help others while also helping themselves financially.

As a donor recruiter every day I get to see the true power of when humanity and science come together as one to make extraordinary things come to life. It’s an honor to be a part of the process and get to educate the public on what egg donation is and how it changes lives worldwide.

If you’re reading this and you’re thinking that egg donation might be something you’d be interested in, first and foremost I want to say thank you and that you’re incredible for even considering it. Second, I would suggest you to check out the most frequently asked questions on our website to get a little more information and to apply. Finally, if you ever have any questions or if you just want to talk about the process send me an email – donors@theworldeggbank.com or give me a call 602.678.1906. Ask for Anna or Clarissa, we got you covered!

via The World Egg Bank http://www.theworldeggbank.com/blogs/a-letter-from-an-egg-donor-recruiter/

Good Question. In short, people facing infertility challenges, cancer survivors, married couples, members of the LGBTQ community, singles and many others need egg donors. In an ideal world, making a baby is a decision between two consenting adults. Sex is meant to be an intimate and tender occurrence. When you struggle with infertility, making a baby is not a private affair anymore; it is a stressful, scientific experience now shared with receptionists, doctors, nurses, drug

companies and ultrasound technicians. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world.

Infertility is still somewhat of a taboo topic, but it’s certainly not rare. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), about 12 percent of women between the ages of 25 and 44 have difficulty conceiving or carrying a pregnancy to term – which is almost one out of every seven women. It is difficult to describe the desperate feeling a person/woman/couple feels when told they have infertility issues and overwhelming when presented with the options for treatment. The process is long, exhausting, emotional and takes a hard toll on the woman and marriage both physically, emotionally and financially.

For most women, they do not realize there are infertility concerns until months of trying to conceive. Women are

waiting later in life to conceive choosing to focus on education or career first. A woman’s ability to conceive

diminishes greatly as we age – especially by the age of 34. But after months of trying, couples must consider

alternatives such as medications, IVF, IUI’s, egg donation, surrogacy and/or adoption.

via The World Egg Bank http://www.theworldeggbank.com/blogs/who-needs-an-egg-donor/

Getting selected as a donor, and ultimately cycling quicker, can be as simple as making changes and updates to your donor profile. Think of your profile like that of used in online dating, where the goal is to present the best version of yourself. When a recipient goes to our roster they’re looking for a woman whose genetics will help them create their future child, so they take all elements of a profile from photos to responses to education into consideration when making their selection. Here are 3 easy ways to strengthen your donor profile –

1) Photos

Photos are key to being a selected because they are the sole glimpses the recipients have as to what a donor looks like. Therefore, the more photos and variety of photos displayed on the profile the better! Recipients like to see current photos both portrait and full body and they also like to see photos with family members. Photos taken throughout childhood and teenage years are also helpful as they show progression. Photos should be clear, high-quality and minimally altered and/or filtered (in other words please keep the flower crown or dog ears on Snapchat). Professionally done photos are highly encouraged although not required. Donors should have a minimum of 4 photos on their profile, but can upload up to 10!

2) Application answers

On the TWEB application we ask a lot questions about a donor’s interests, hobbies and personality. These give recipients insight as to who the donor is on a personable level. Donors should make sure that each of these questions are carefully answered and thought out, usage of complete sentences and proper grammar is essential.

Example:

Question – “What are some of your talents/abilities?”

Weak answer – “Dancing and sports”

Strong answer – “I have been in love with dancing since I started ballet at the age of five. My favorite styles are jazz and hip-hop. I am naturally athletic and played sports throughout high school. I varsity lettered in softball as well as played club volleyball. I currently play in a co-ed volleyball league on the weekends with some of my friends!” The more thorough and open the response the more of a chance the recipient has of understanding the donor’s personality and genuine interests.

via The World Egg Bank http://www.theworldeggbank.com/blogs/3-steps-to-a-strong-donor-profile/

What is it like to be a parent of a donor egg child? Taking the fear out of the experience.

– Tonya Heilbrun

Recipient Representative

I was recently asked to write a full article about what it means to be a parent via donor eggs and to specifically address the fear that can and does often occur during the experience. I found this request relatable as I will admit, I did experience fear. But, what I have learned is that my “fear” was only of the unknown and with all “unknowns” in my life, my desires always overcame.

At first, it is the inability to know what people will do, think and say. Then, it is more about what the child will think, feel and say. Finally, it is how you the parent will feel when impacted by all of these unknowns. While these are certainly valid “fears” or thoughts, what I have learned is that it was my first real experiences of being a mother. And honestly, these are only the beginning. Once you feel that baby kick – the fears quadruple as does the excitement. But most importantly – the “fear” of what will my child think is long past.

What this all boils down to in the end is our own insecurities. Let us think about the logic behind it. At first, we as women are devastated that we have been told we have bad/old eggs. As a young girl, it is just a given that most of us want to grow up to be a mother one day. This in itself is a lot to process. So we learn that we can in fact carry a child and all that we need to do is accept the fact that we will need to use a donor egg.

via The World Egg Bank http://www.theworldeggbank.com/blogs/what-is-it-like-to-be-a-parent-of-a-donor-egg-child-2/

Kimball O. Pomeroy is a clinical embryologist who has directed several clinical laboratories throughout the United States. He was trained in Bristol, England as a human embryologist and prior to that was educated at Colorado State University, where he received a Ph.D. in Animal Physiology, and then worked at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies where he did post-doctoral work in molecular biology. At the Salk Institute, Dr. Pomeroy was a molecular biologist and worked with Dr. Glen Evans on the Human Genome Project (chromosome 11) and did work in transgenics.

Dr. Pomeroy has worked as a consultant for several projects in Mexico, Nepal, China, Bolivia and the Bahamas. He has served as a member of the SART Executive Board, Chair of the Reproductive Laboratory Technician’s Group, Chair of the College of Reproductive Biology and a founding member of the Regulatory Task Force and the Southwest Embryologist Summit.

Dr. Pomeroy has lectured at many scientific meetings and has been involved in the organization and presentations at several symposia for the education of embryologists. He has coauthored numerous papers, mostly dealing with the detection of embryo toxins and cryopreservation. Recently he has coauthored several papers on the risks of cross-contamination of microbes during storage of tissue in liquid nitrogen, the usefulness of embryo morphology in predicting pregnancy and the source of microbial contamination during embryo culture.

To learn about other members of our team, visit our website.

via The World Egg Bank http://www.theworldeggbank.com/blogs/dr-kimball-pomeroy-scientific-director/

The World Egg Bank
Address: 7227 N. 16th Street #160 Phoenix, AZ 85020

Phone: (602) 678-1906

The World Egg Bank is a state of the art egg bank providing donor eggs to parents seeking In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). We work with fertility clinics to safely and immediately deliver donor eggs anywhere in the world. From our egg retrieval and laboratory facility in Phoenix, Arizona, we have hundreds of donor eggs available for immediate shipment. Our egg donor list can be found on our website as well as donor profiles. Egg donors go through a rigorous screening program and are carefully selected. Whether you are a prospective donor or future parent, The World Egg Bank provides a level of quality control and transparency unmatched by other egg banks.

Website: http://www.theworldeggbank.com/