I am proud to announce that Lotus Blossom Consulting has officially established the Jude Andrew Adams Charitable Fund to bring new life to families who are struggling to conceive.  motivation and intention in creating this grant is to offer a free fertility treatment for those who could not otherwise afford it.  To learn more about this fund and how it came to fruition, please click here.

Applications for a free treatment cycle are now being accepted.  The board of directors will select from applicants who meet the following criteria:

• Have a history of infertility, and provide a physician documented medical indication for exploring IVF treatment along with the application
• Demonstrate a financial need; defined as a gross combined annual income less than $80,000. A copy of the last two years’ IRS tax returns and two of the most recent pay stubs is required.
• No insurance coverage for infertility treatments.
• Do not currently have any children.
• Be under age 40.
• Be current legal citizens of the United States and living in the United States at the time of the award and subsequent treatment.

Thank you all for your help and support for this great cause. 

Earlier this week, President Obama officially declared the month of June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month!

As the nation celebrates this occasion, it is a good time to bring an important issue to the forefront – alternative family building. As noted in a past USA Today article, there is an estimated six to 12 million children in the U.S. who have a lesbian or gay parent. And an increasing number of same-sex couples are looking to expand their families.

Unfortunately, there are even more obstacles for gay couples when trying to start their own families due to the political and legal issues involved. It is important to financially, physically and emotionally prepare for a challenging road ahead. Gay couples also must enlist an attorney to draw up contracts that protect not only themselves, but also their biological offspring. Often adoption or co-parenting agreements need to be accomplished.

Cost is another factor to consider. Insurance benefits for surrogacy and/or IVF treatments are often restricted since same sex couples do not meet the insurance’s companies definition of “infertility.”

And sadly, discrimination is widespread. Same sex families are denied the benefits and protections of a marriage in most states.

For Citywide PRIDE month in Chicago, I have teamed with UBS and PricewaterhouseCoopers to help gay and lesbian couples plan and prepare for parenthood. I will be leading a FREE session titled, “Conceivable Options: Alternative Family Building ” Details are as follows:

Date: Thursday June 18, 2009
Time: 11:30am – 1:30pm. Lunch will be served.
Location: UBS Tower, 38th Floor, 1 North Wacker Drive, Chicago

RSVP: By June 15, 2009 at http://citywidepride.info/events.html

Topics will include understanding insurance benefits (if available), how to enlist your human resources department to determine what benefits they may be able to provide and how to identify egg donors and surrogates from “surrogate friendly” states. The discussion will conclude with tips for how to financially plan and prepare for treatment, and a Q&A session.

Please try to join me! If you’re not in the Chicago area, e-mail me. I am happy to share my presentation notes with you, or discuss options over the telephone.

Download a registration form or call (312) 582-6035 to register.

Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC, is a concierge service for people undergoing fertility treatment. Join the company’s founders, MINDY BERKSON and TONI SIRAGUSA, for this seminar that will discuss a range of issues confronting people with infertility: maximizing insurance benefits, choosing a fertility center, holistic opportunities, and financing treatment. Berskon has worked in the industry for over 10 years in a variety of capacities both at donor agencies and at fertility centers. Siragusa is a financial planner and insurance agent who has worked specifically with couples undergoing infertility to properly plan for and finance treatment. Check out their Web site at www.lotusblossomconsulting.com.

Location: Latin Upper School, 59 W. North Blvd.
Instructor: Mindy Berkson & Toni Siragusa Course Fee: $40
Date: Thu, 25-Oct 1 Class Time: 6:30-8:30 pm

The report emphasizes that the currently available data are too limited to allow egg freezing to be considered an established medical treatment. However, many women understandably have an interest in this emerging technology as an elective fertility preservation strategy. (Source: IVF News)

Ok, you may be thinking what does freezing your eggs have to do with counseling. The bottom line is that people are thinking this is going to be a great way to deter the inevitable aging of eggs. Thus, you can use your own 23 year old eggs when you’re looking to have a child at 43.

On the surface, not a bad idea. Younger eggs are always a better bet…but freezing? What worries me most is that the women considering freezing only see the potential upside. The potential downsides are kind of swept under the rug.

Have you ever put chocolate in the freezer? When you take it out, it’s discolored from the cocoa doing some chemical dance from the temperature drop. It’s still fine to consume, but…do you think that something as delicate as a human egg is going to still be right as rain if it separates like the chocolate? What about freezer burn?

No matter how advanced the technology, no matter how careful the scientist or doctor…you’re still putting a living thing into a freezer. A very, very cold freezer. And then you’re hoping for the best.

I can understand why counseling is strongly recommended. It should be. Because this is not one of the better ideas I’ve heard for having a child later in life.

Lotus Blossom Consulting has established the Jude Andrew Adams Charitable Fund to bring hope and new life to those in need. Through this grant, we are offering a free fertility treatment cycle for financially needy individuals.