Creating Families with Exceptional Donor Eggs

我今年大三，因為從小就喜歡美國文化，所以大學念了外文系，更計畫在畢業前環遊美國。但無奈旅費是一筆很大的數目，即使我平日兼家教，還是無法達標。偶然間上網發現許多美國的華裔父母需要愛心捐卵人的幫助，於是看了許多人的推薦，最後才選擇風評最好的RSMC醫療生育中心。 由於這是我的第一次捐卵，RSMC的專業人員，詳細為我解釋整個流程和用藥注意事項，才知道原來捐卵是取女性身體未使用剩餘的卵子，而不是網路上謠傳的如此傷身。最後順利到美國完成捐卵，我的身體恢復得很快，經過檢查後，隔天就飛到東岸，開始環遊美國之旅，最令我感到貼心的，是RSMC的員工姊姊，知道我要去旅遊不但推薦許多景點，還熱心告訴我旅行要注意的事項，更留下她的電話，叮嚀我若遇到狀況，可以打電話請她幫忙！滿滿的人情味，讓我不得不推薦RSMC ！

Jess,台北

May 02, 2021

我的姊姊因為卵巢早衰一直無法孕育孩子，做過許多試管嬰兒療程都失敗，見她流過多少淚，多少的辛酸不為人知，所以我很能辛苦體會不孕家庭的痛楚，下定決心捐卵，幫助和她一樣的媽媽。 為此我上網做了許多功課，發現許多捐卵仲介介紹的醫院環境和環境都十分糟糕，只有RSMC是美國合法醫療中心，擁有專業的醫護人員。過程十分順利，手術只有短短不到20分鐘，快得讓我都不知道取卵已經完成。醫生說我的卵子十分健康，質量也很好。經過這次經驗，也許有一天我也能捐卵給姊姊，幫助她擁有孩子，那將會是很美好的一件事！

佩佩, 台中

Mar 03, 2021

我今年20歲，即將大學畢業，但想到沉重的學貸還沒付完，心頭就感到徬徨無助。還好，偶然發現RSMC徵愛心捐卵天使，便上網填寫申請表格，很快速地得到匹配。 一開始我對捐卵一無所知，但RSMC專業的醫護人員，在過程中耐心地解答每個疑問，甚至關心我的身體狀況；他們專業認真的態度，讓我備感安心；最後順利地完成捐卵，取出了多顆健康的卵子，才發現原來這一切比想像地還要簡單輕鬆！ 更重要的是，這筆愛心回饋金幫助我還清剩下的學貸，一對美國的華裔夫妻，在我的幫助下獲得了一對雙胞胎。幫助人之餘，還能獲得豐富的報酬，沒有什麼事比這還令我感到開心且值得！

Amy,洛杉磯

Jan 19, 2021

Me, use an egg donor? Never!

Although I always knew I would have trouble getting pregnant,I did not know my husband and I would face so many challenges when trying to build our own family.

I got married when I about to clock 40 and had suffered from endometriosis, tubal problems, and fibroids. Not a great start! However, we began our family-building journey with much enthusiasm, believing “a little assistance” would bring us the child we so much desire.I had always dreamed of being a mother ever since I was a little kid, babysitting and carryingother people’s children, waiting for the time when I would get pregnant and havemy own baby.”

We began IVF treatment using my eggs at 41, andthe reproductive endocrinologist told us that my “advanced maternal age”meant I might have a few good eggs left, but we were not discouraged. My first egg retrieval yielded 4 eggs, and 2 of them were fertilized with my hubby’s sperm andtransferred. I was certain this was it!

Sadly, it was not. Although I was disappointed, I was not too disturbed because I believed our next try would be a success. Again, itfailed,and so did the next two cycles of IVF and another two IUI cycles. I was devastated. My body was no longer responding to stimulation medications, so I decided to try another clinic to see if I would be luckier.

When the new doctors learned about my history, they tried a new treatment protocol, but I stillcouldn’t find successwith them either. After we had used up all attempts covered by our insurance provider, the reproductive endocrinologist advised we opt for egg donation.

At first, I totally against using someoneelse’s eggs. I saidto myself,”I would never have a baby with donor eggs!”I believed the baby would not be “mine.”I thought I would forever be sad knowing that my hubby had genetic ties with the baby,whereas I did not. I worried about what people would say.
So we kept trying with my own eggs, unsuccessfully, and I knew in my heart that I needed to do some soul searching. Why was I so concerned about having a biologicallyrelated baby? What does it matter if the baby doesn’t have my genes? I was looking for answers.

I think the turning point for me was when we adopted a beagle dog named Ruby. He was a cute little puppy full of energy and love. It was my first time having a puppy, and I was so surprised by how much I love him. Then, Iasked myself, if you could love your furry friend like he was your own baby, what is stopping you from using another person’s eggs??

After six months ofdeep thought, tears, prayer, and lots of research here and there, I finally decided I would give it a try. My hubby already agreed with this choice. I praythat God continues to bless him. He was extremely supportive and wanted us to have our own children, regardless of the method we used. It would have been impossible without his support.

We were told we had two options. It was either we select a fresh donor from the clinic’s database or go for frozen eggs at Lucina Egg Bank. I couldn’t find any donors I like on the fresh Egg Donor site, but fortunately, I found one onLucina’s website. Immediately I saw her, I told myself she was the”one.” And we decided to work with her!

Everything went smooth from that moment on—no need to sync menstrual cycles or wait months tosee if she is eligible to donate. We completed the cycle and got 3 “solid” embryos from her6 healthy, frozen eggs. We have one of them transferred and kept the remaining ones with Lucina. I can’t describe how excited and joyful I was when I saw double blue lines on my pregnancy test kit after the first cycle. I was over the moon.
We finally became pregnant after 8 unsuccessful tries, and I went on to have a healthy pregnancy (except for the occasional morning sickness, but hey, that was expected,and I would do it again and again)

The most amazing, wonderful, and touching part of it all is my daughter, Elizabeth. My own flesh. She couldn’t have been more “mine” if she was conceived with my own egg. Sometimes, I wish I had agreed to usedonor eggs sooner, but I’m happy we ended up with this beautiful little girl. All questionsand doubt disappeared immediately she was born. She means everything to me, to us,and I’m so thankful for the journey I went through to have her. My heart beats with joy each time I look at her pretty face. Thank you, Lucina Egg Bank, for helping us realize our dreams of building a family. We will forever be grateful.

Our journey to David

I could recall the exact moment when my hubby and I decided we were going to have a baby. It was in mid-February 2013. We have been married for two years – both had well-paying jobs and were holidaying in Dubai. I just turned 28 and was very sure we had a lot of time to try.

A year passed, and we thoughtmaybe our timing wasn’t right. I was not too bothered. Hey, I was just 29 years of age, and we had a lot of friends within our age group and some even older who were getting pregnant without any issues.

When another year went by and I still didn’t conceive, I started to become a little bit worried. But I was living in denial,as I refused to believe something could be wrong.

After 3 years of unsuccessful tries, it was clear we needed to have things checked out. I arranged an appointment with my doctor, and she also believed it was time we both undergo some fertility testing. I thought that maybe we had little issues that would be easily resolved. Perhaps we only needed a little assistance.

Unfortunately, turns out, we needed more than a little assistance. When the results of the fertility testing came, my husband was diagnosed with a health condition that, although does not totally eliminate the possibility of fathering a genetic baby, the chances were very slim. I can still remember the look on my husband’s face when he got the news. It was indescribable, and it was something only couples who have got similar news would understand.
The physician then told me that my own test results were also worrying. My FSH level had significantly increased, which meantthere could be problems with the quantity and quality of my eggs. Still, I refused to accept that there could be any truth to this. After all, I was just 31 years old.

We tried our first IVF cycle in June 2016with my own eggs and sperm collected from my hubby through testicular biopsy. We gotfour eggs during that cycle. Anyone who is experienced in the IVF world wouldknow that this wasn’t a great number. But the physicians and staff were surprised when all the eggs became fertilized and we had four”good”embryos.
I said to myself, “this is it! We will surely get pregnant this time. ”

When our pregnancy test results came back negative, I was devastated. We both were. I could believe that all thosework and those medications were for nothing. I felt like all hope was lost. We were back to where we started.

But we didn’t let this weigh us down. Instead,we startedall over again and changed clinics after our second unsuccessful cycle. We were very excited towork with our new physician, who was well known for helping people with severe fertility problems. He was frank and honest with us, which is exactly what we needed on this journey.

Although we had little chances of success chances, we were sure he would do his best to assist us. And he did. We did two more cycles, and though I responded better to the new medication protocol, we still didn’t conceive. It was tiring. We then decided to try and get pregnant with my own eggs and a donor’s sperm. But when we still failed to get pregnant after two attempts with donorsperm, our hope was dashed again. It was at this point that I realized we needed to consider other options. It was 2018, I was 33 years old, and I was seriously fed up.
I said to myself, “We wanted a baby. A baby to love, to take care of, and to raise with our values. Genetics did not really matter.”

We agreed with the fact that we won’t be able to have a geneticbaby, although this was a hard pill to swallow. I had always dreamed of our baby having my husband’s blue eyes or my beautiful smile. This was never going to occur. It took us a lot of time to accept this, but in the end, this became okay. We talked about adoption a couple of times, which is also a great option for intended parents struggling to have a baby. But, as a woman, I had always wanted to experiencepregnancy. I wanted to have the swollen feet, morning sickness, and all those symptoms associated with pregnancy. I wanted to go to ultrasounds and give birth in my husband’s presence.
Our doctor then introduced us to Lucina Egg Bank
He said I can still experience pregnancy using frozen eggs and sperm. We started applying for the Assured Refund IVF Program in October 2018.
“Frozen donor eggs gave us new hope and a fresh start.”
We did three cycles between December 2018 and October 2019. Still, we did have our own child. The doctor found that my body was not responding to the fertility medications as it was supposed to.
I already knew we could not conceive a baby. I accepted that cold hard truth a long time ago. But I was now bothered that I won’t even be able to carry a pregnancy.

We did our fourth cycle in April 2020. We did not throw in the towel, but holding onto that tiny piece of hope was difficult. We were numb. The IVF process had become so routine that it did not excite or faze us anymore. But on June 11, 2020, we got the news we had been waiting to hear for more than 7 years.
Our bundle of joy was eventually on the way!!!

David Peterson was born on February 19, 2021. He was the most wonderful gift we have ever received, and we are so grateful for the donors who selflessly give out their eggs to help struggling couples realize their dreams of having a family. We forgotall the disappointment, frustration, and pain the moment our cute little babywas born. And we wouldn’t mind doing it all over and over again, as long as it would finally lead us to him. It has never even crossed our mindsthat he is not our biological baby. He is ours. We are his parents – his mom and dad.

We finally found a way

My husband and I started trying for a baby one year after we got married. Initially, we thought it would conceive within a couple of months. But after a year passed and we still haven’t had our baby, we visiteda clinic and began the fertility testing. The results didn’t provide any clue as to why we couldn’t get pregnant. Wefirst decided to try intrauterine insemination (IUI). After four unsuccessful IUI cycles, we proceeded to IVF. We completed two rounds of IVF, both unsuccessful. We then decided to change clinics after a frustrating discussion with the doctor.

We then met with Dr. David Harari at Lucina. He conducted more tests, but the results still came back the same – unexplained infertility. We had another IVF cycle, and we became pregnant!We were extremely happy. We could not believe it. Unfortunately, I lost the pregnancy two weeks later. We were disturbed. We completed three more IVF cycles, all failed. We didn’t know what to do next. We had no idea why the cycles were failing. Our doctor then advised that we use donor eggs. It was a difficult thing to accept since none of the tests indicated there could be an issue with my eggs. Besides, I had always responded well to fertility medications. So,”how on earth could my eggs be the problem?”

I had a lot of emotions running through me as I was discussingthis with my husband. It was difficultaccepting that we won’t be having genetic ties with our baby. Iworried about how my babies would feel about this. Ithought about the issues that might occur as my babies grew up and thequestions they might have.

Finally, we decided all that was not as important as having our own children. My first cycle with donor eggs was a success, and we ended up with our beautiful daughter, Isabel. I’m now pregnant with the second baby. Lucina Egg Bank was very accommodating and helpful. We found an egg donor we liked on their site, but another person snatched her up before we could reserve her. We were very discouraged. However, they were able to provide us a reserved lot from our preferred donor. I was surprised at how far theywent for our benefit. Thanks to Lucina Egg Bank, our dreams of having a family have finally become a reality!

Super happy about being able to help another family out! I know a lot of people through my parents who struggled with infertility and needing help so the infertility topic wasn’t new to me. The entire process including egg retrieval went very well. I love that I was able to give someone the chance to have a family. Getting money for it was just an extra plus.

Jasmine 119-001

Jan 19, 2021

Absolutely amazing customer service. Everything went so fast and smooth with them and now we are already waiting for our baby girl to arrive. I can not thank them enough for making it possible for us to finally be pregnant.

Charles-4432

April 31 2021

Thank you so much for everything. This was a wonderful experience, better than I could’ve ever imagined. Everything was so organized from my travel to get there to my egg retrieval. Everyone was so kind and professional.

Chelsea 435-001

Mar 03, 2021

My experience with Lucina has been nothing but amazing. I just completed my second journey with them and the wonderful staff made my donations a breeze. I had tons of questions the first time and they were sooo patient with me explaining everything to me even when I asked for the 4th time. Crossing my fingers I may be able to donate a third time with them.

Mary 986-001

Jan 24,2021