This episode is very personal and special for Arden. She is joined by Gail Sexton Anderson and Gloria Li from Donor Concierge, and together, they explore the invaluable services offered to women aspiring to become mothers. Donor Concierge has played a pivotal role in bringing countless families into existence by serving as dedicated advocates. They collaborate with many agencies involved in sperm and egg donation and surrogacy. This intricate and sensitive process is a remarkable journey of creation. Anyone interested in parenthood or donation will find this episode enlightening and informative.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- [01:18] Gail explains why she founded Donor Concierge, and Gloria shares how she became involved
- [03:36] Arden explains her personal story and asks what are the challenges in finding egg or sperm donors
- [07:36] What are the realistic expectations of a concierge business in this field
- [11:59] How Donor Concierge serves the affluent family and answers questions they may have
- [17:57] Do donors do this for the money and an explanation of the process involved for intended parents
- [26:09] Are some want-to-be parents excluded from the process
- [29:29] Discussion of clients who are recognizable by the public or extremely wealthy families, where the field is going in the future, and being open about how your family was created
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Finding a surrogate, a sperm donor, and an egg donor is not as easy as it may sound. It is a crucial decision, and hiring experts to guide you is best.
- Affluent parents have the option of a direct search program where they create a landing page to share with potential donors who they are.
- Surrogacy allows you to give joy to a mother who otherwise would not have a child.
RESOURCES:
Beyond the Balance Sheet Website
BIOGRAPHY
CEO & Founder
Gail has dedicated her career to helping intended parents from all walks of life build families. She founded Donor Concierge as a compassionate approach to helping intended parents sort through the gauntlet of egg donor and surrogacy options. Gail is a Harvard-trained counselor with 25 years of experience helping intended parents have the baby they always dreamed of.
After graduate school, Gail joined a research group in the Psychology Department at Yale University. Later, she joined a group of researchers in pediatric neurology at Yale New Haven Hospital doing developmental testing with children born prematurely of very low birth weight. Gail is also a graduate of Alice Domar’s Mind Body Fertility Program through Boston IVF and has served on a Radcliffe panel with other fertility experts. In her career in the fertility industry, Gail has been the Executive Director of one of the leading surrogacy agencies and helped start two different egg donor agencies. Gail is an empathic listener who brings a calming influence to what can often be an emotionally stressful process.
A frequent speaker at fertility conferences, Gail consults with organizations creating fertility service programs. She is a former board member of SEEDS, The Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy, and the Co-Founder of TULIP, a new online platform for third-party fertility. Married since 1984 with two wonderful children, Gail says having the privilege of being a mother has ignited her passion for helping others experience the joy of parenting.
Gloria Li, BA, PMP
Executive Director
Gloria is responsible for managing the Donor Concierge, overseeing all aspects of the company. Gloria has worked in fertility since 2013 and is an expert on egg donation, gestational surrogacy, and fertility care management. Her vision, passion for the mission, and attention to detail have set a high mark in our commitment to excellence, and her leadership has helped Donor Concierge become the premier resource for intended parents worldwide.
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