fertility

Honoring the Promise

by jacqui on November 16, 2010

October is breast cancer awareness month.  A topic I am very passionate about.  With 1 in every 8 diagnosed it is no surprise that I personally know too many friends, colleagues, clients and even my own mother who have endured this devastating diagnosis.

This past weekend, I had the distinct privilege of being a sponsor at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Awards which was held at the beautiful Kennedy Center in Washington DC.  The production was flawlessly produced by my previous client and now very dear friend, Joy Zucker-Tiemann.  This past summer Joy offered me a ticket to the show and I respectfully declined her kind offer and said, “Heck no, such an important cause, I need to be a sponsor!”

With behind the scenes access, Saturday day and evening at the Komen event was truly humbling.  I met so many wonderful and very talented fund raisers, committed scientists working to end breast cancer and thousands of dedicated volunteers all to raise awareness and education for early detection and the need for more research.  I met celebrities, Olivia Newton John, Lynda Carter, Cynthia Nixon and Stephanie Mills to name just a few.  I heard the stories of global leaders like Ida Odinga, a dynamic woman who empowers Kenyan women to have a voice.  I saw Laura Bush receive a well deserved lifetime achievement award for launching groundbreaking educational and healthcare programs for women in more than 75 countries globally.  The celebrity voices of Ricardo Chavira, Jennifer Griffin and Andrea Mitchell rang loudly to emphasize that we will not stop until breast cancer is curable.  The sheer scope of commitments, efforts, talents and hope was endless.

But for me the highlight of the weekend was meeting Robin Roberts.  Robin’s poise, compassion and graceful demeanor made her the most eloquent voice in the house.  As Master of Ceremonies, Robin was truly a master!

Robin had been my idol for many years.  Even before she she earned her stripes as a breast cancer survivor, Robin always symbolized for me devotion, hard work, commitment and integrity.  I learned this about Robin while reading her book “From the Heart: Eight Rules to Live By” which speaks directly to her special character.  Her goals, dreams and commitment to self are clearly identified in her candid writing.

As a true leader, Robin led the audience through a very emotional, informative yet hopeful two hour award ceremony.  Robin spoke “from the heart” about her own battle with triple negative breast cancer and how support from Susan G. Komen organization, colleagues, close friends, and strong family helped her to endure her journey through cancer treatment.  Robin’s eloquent plea for advocacy, raising awareness, offering education about early detection and the importance of raising additional funds for more research resonated loud and clear nationally.  Compelling videos clips of cancer survivors emphasized these topics and solidified Robin’s powerful message.  Robin had always been my idol, but after this weekend she is not only my idol but also my hero.

The memory of the weekend would not be complete with out accolades for the lady whose vision became a reality, Nancy Brinker, Founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.  Since 1983, Nancy had created the largest organization for education and fundraising for cancer victims.  This organization has helped millions of women and their families to identify valuable resources  before during and after diagnosis.  Nancy too is a pillar of strength and has made it her primary mission to put cancer at the top of the World Health Organization’s agenda.

I too had an opportunity to share my small part in raising awareness with Barbara Harrison on NBC.  In a short segment I believe that together we were able to disseminate valuable information on advocacy and fertility preservation options for those facing any dreaded cancer diagnosis.

It was definitely an action packed weekend and I am so blessed to have played even a small part of to help promote the cause.  Thank you Joy for your friendship, the sisterhood that has bonded between us, the many opportunities you gave to me including sharing a special morning with your beautiful daughter Jade!

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When the Path to Parenthood is Not Linear

by Mindy on March 26, 2009

We understand that sometimes the pathway to parenthood is not linear. As frustrating as this is, reality requires us to make difficult choices and explore paths that we never imagined. Coming to terms with using a third party candidate can be a complicated and overwhelming process. In my experience, when clients can reach a comfort zone in selecting a candidate who meets close to their ideal criteria, the process becomes much more palatable.
So where does one begin the search? Some clinics provide in house egg donor recruiting programs. These programs tend to be small and often consist of only local donors. Due to their size, supply does not often meet demand and wait lists to select a candidate tend to be long. The agency route is another avenue. Agencies often have larger pools of available candidates, but weeding through profiles to identify ideal candidates can be time consuming and overwhelming.
Explore your resources. As an Infertility Consultant my focus is to advocate for the intended parents. Through carefully established strategic alliances with agencies nationwide, the consultants at Lotus Blossom Consulting have access to vast pools of qualified and available surrogate and egg donor candidates. Our match time is typically less than two weeks. We deliver to your email box targeted profiles to specifically meet your ideal criteria. There is no limit to the number of profiles you will have to choose from. The goal is to identify a candidate that appropriately suits your needs. But in addition, Lotus Blossom Consulting closely screens the agencies. We drive business only to agencies that are willing to include special clauses in their contracts for our client, which ensures that your financial risk factors will be mitigated in the event that a candidate does not pass your physician’s medical screening. This is one of our commitments to you in working as your advocate.
With our help, the complicated process becomes less overwhelming. Our very personalized touch and direct guidance in what to seek in an ideal candidate enables clients to focus their energies and emotions on other aspects of the cycle. Having the confidence to move through third party reproduction comes with knowing that you selected the right candidate, within a timeframe that is consistent with your course of treatment, and a budget that suits your financial reserves.
The journey through infertility need not be a fearful or overwhelming adventure. Identifying support, resources and guidance can save valuable time, preserve emotional well being and help to optimize the resources for your treatment cycle while minimizing the overall financial expenditure for the end family building goal. Being proactive in building the foundation for multiple cycles is simply acting prudent.

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