LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We want to thank The AFA membership for the incredible response to the call for help to defeat an amendment to the National Organ Transplant Act that would have included eggs, embryos and stem cells. The outpouring of opposition, from our members and other concerned individuals, expressed to U.S. Senators was enough to have the amendment pulled. Had such a provision passed into law, it would have prevented compensation to donors with the net effect of drying up the donor pool . For many the risks inherent in such an amendment were clear.

But The AFA received several letters wanting to know what was wrong with treating embryos, stem cells and especially ova like other organs. It’s a complex issue and those questions, like the one below, deserve full answers.

Michelle Henderson

Dear Michelle,
The difference is that ovum donors go to extraordinary lengths to help other people achieve a pregnancy, putting much of their life on hold and their health sometimes at risk. Unlike other organs that fall under the Act, ova are created for a specific purpose. Undergoing the process of ovarian stimulation is an arduous process of injectible hormones, sonograms and blood tests. It’s sometimes painful and always time intensive. The retrieval is no walk in the park either. A needle is passed through the top of the vagina under ultrasound guidance to get to the ovary and follicles. The fluid in the follicles is aspirated through the needle and the eggs detach from the follicle wall and are sucked out of the ovary. We’re talking anesthesia here.

So it is reasonable that women are given compensation for their pain and time at the very least. This amendment would have made it impossible to reimburse women even for cab fare. Under those circumstances, even the most altruistic would have to give it a second thought. Our goal is to preserve ovum donation as a way for women to experience pregnancy and childbirth when other options aren’t available. That you could afford to pay is lucky. That insurance doesn’t cover this procedure for the most part is a shame. One that The AFA is lobbying aggressively to address. But This amendment would have made that impossible. We’ll be keeping our antennae quivering for any other such efforts and lobby just as hard to defeat them.

My husband and I have 3 children, a 5-year old and 3-1/2 year old twins all conceived via IVF. We are both running the NYC Marathon this November for the first time and would like to run for a cause associated with infertility. We live in a very affluent community in Westchester County, New York. How do we pursue this for the AFA---who can we contact??

Thank you.

Cindy Greenstein

Dear Cindy,
We can’t tell you how happy you’ve made us. Please contact Corey Whelan at corey@theafa.org to find out how to make your cause a cause celebre in your town.

These questions came in the last few weeks and our experts will respond in the next issue of Connections.

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is David Smail from Scotland and I am enquiring about an aspect of Californian law on surrogacy on behalf of a friend.

My friend has undergone 6 unsuccesful IVF treatments here in Scotland
and is desperate to bear a child. Thankfully her sister offered to act as a surrogate mother by means of having her fertilised eggs surgically implanted. However, her sister lives in California and from what I have heard Californian law prohibits its citizens from being surrogate mothers to overseas donors - is this true? If so, is there any way around it e.g. how long would it take for my friend to be considered "domiciled" if she moved over there? If you cannot help I would be grateful if you could point me in the right direction.

Thank for your help in advance. Kind regards,
David Smail

My girlfriend is very worried she won't be able to have children with
me. She had half a hysterectomy when she was 18 (she is 32 now) due to endometriosis. I'm sure you come across cases like this regularly. Our quesiton is, what are our options? And do we have a chance of regular child birth? And if not, what are our other options?. Please email me back at your earliest convenience so I can be educated on the subject.

Thank You
Danny

The AFA welcomes your questions, comments, ideas and stories. We’re just getting rolling so keep them coming. In the next issue you’ll find answers to These questions and more. This is for all of us. So take the times to send your ideas and queries to editor@TheAFA.org. We can’t wait to hear from you.