Shared Stories
Here you will find wonderful stories from people around New Zealand, who have successfully completed alternative paths to parenthood via: egg donation, sperm donation, embryo donation, IVF and/or surrogacy - or stories from those who generously helped create these families. Dreams really do come true...
Story 1. Parents by an Alternative Path
I have what might be considered secondary infertility. I had two children when I was a lot younger and then had to have a hysterectomy which meant that I was never able to complete my family. I had always envisioned and dreamed that the landscape of my family was four children and I just never seemed to be able to overcome this deep knowing that my family wasn't finished. When I met my husband he didn't have any children and so we embarked on this remarkable journey of surrogacy together in 2006. There is a favorite quote that comes to mind at this point...."I can't promise you that it will be easy, but I can promise you that it will be worth it".... and it has been. We have been very blessed with two precious children, a little girl born in 2008 to one traditional surrogate, and a little boy who was born in 2012 to another traditional surrogate. It is a feeling beyond to words to know that someone found you worthy of giving you such a gift, and to have been blessed twice by our dear friends is beyond what had been our hopes... and now has become our dream fulfilled. - Bernice
Story 2. Gestational Surrogacy
My husband and I were unfortunate enough to experience infertility, it was heart-breaking, soul destroying, all consuming. Thanks to the wonders of IVF/ICSI we had lovely twin boys from cycle #1 and a beautiful daughter from cycle #2.
I knew how blessed we were to have these precious miracles, I knew our family was complete within days after our daughter was born, in the next few weeks I thought a lot about gestational surrogacy as a way to pay it forward and help another couple be blessed the way we were. I knew it was something I could do, in fact it seemed the most natural thing in the world to carry a baby for someone who couldn't. My husband was fully supportive and so we began the surrogacy process. In July 2012 a beautiful baby boy was born, it has been a very fulfilling experience for me and my family. - Nicky
Story 3. Sperm Donorship
Hi. I became a sperm donor, or 'swimmer donor' as my intending parent called it, five years ago. I donated to a clinic and more recently in a private arrangement. As a result of this a woman now is a very proud mother and her parents grandparents, for the first time - and only time - as the recipient herself, is an only child. I like to think I have had a small part to play in someone else's happiness. I would also like to encourage more men to think about this way of helping others. Most men seem to worry about the legal consequences of donorship but in New Zealand donor agreements protect donors from legal or financial responsibility. When you donate through a clinic that is all explained and taken care of, but you can work out the same thing privately with your recipient. - 'Sam'
There is information on the EDEN community Private Facebook Group about sperm donorship, private agreements. and safe practices when meeting your intended parent/s or donor.
