I had my phone interview with Family Creations last week. I was slightly nervous, only because I wasn't sure what all they'd be asking, but it was no problem. It was mostly just the same stuff from my profile and application and such. The woman really loved my profile and how detailed it was, and she said she wouldn't be surprised if I was selected "fairly quickly." She also gave me a full run-down of the process, which was pretty much exactly what all the paperwork said, but I guess they have to keep their bases covered on the assumption that some people might not read it. Which is ludicrous, but... y'know. Some people are like that.
I did learn some stuff about the options regarding any remaining eggs after the retrieval process. Once they are retrieved, they become the property of the recipients, who have four options:
1) They can freeze them and use them again later for a sibling for their child (or to try again if it is unsuccessful the first time around)
2) They can freeze them and later donate them to a friend or relative
3) They can donate them for stem-cell research
4) They can destroy them
Apparently I can have some input in this. I'm not sure how much, but I will be appointed a lawyer, free of charge, to explore the options when the time comes. And, again, I'm not sure if it's "This is what I demand!" so much as "These options are my preferences," and people are just matched accordingly.
I also wonder - and I didn't ask this - if it might be an option to get any back if needed someday. Like, if for some reason I needed my own eggs later, and these fine people had some of mine, would they go ahead and donate them back to me? I would assume that out of the goodness of their hearts - and out of appreciation for what I did - they would be happy to donate a few back to the person who donated to them in the first place, but they would certainly be under no legal obligation to do so. It would just have to be something worked out between people. Then again, it's also supposed to be anonymous, so I'm not sure how that would work. Perhaps we'd have to go through FC? Though if this is something I were thinking about, I'd also have to let FC know I don't want option 4.
My mom was also highly against option 3, so out of respect for her, I expressed that I'm not leaning toward that one. I probably don't know enough about stem-cell research to make a big decision on it (for me, it's kind of like... it's science; it's research; don't we need to do this in order to make medical advances and discover reasons for diseases and come up with cures? isn't that's something that's really important?), but it's not that big a deal to me to decline the option for now. And later down the road, the lawyer can fill me in fully, too.
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5 comments:
How is it anonymous when you have to send in mostly recent photos of yourself? They just withhold your name, I guess?
I just had an image of the recipients somehow running into Julia Stiles one day, and rushing up to thank her for helping them conceive.
I personally thing you have to do what you and your family think is best, but you're right that stem cell research is really important for medical advancements, so my two cents would be not to rule it out. You might be helping science cure paralysis!
@ Valfatale: haha! Hilarious! Yes, I know, it's a bit odd to have so many recent pics, but yeah, they withhold your name.
@29pixie: Hmmm, yes, I will talk to the lawyer in depth when it's time!
You mentioned your mom here, how did she take the news? How did you bring it up to her? Or is that worthy of it's own post? :)
that option #3...I agree with you mom...because they can use umbilical cords of newborns without affecting the mother or child and do the exact same stem cell research :) They don't need a fetus to do that...I really don't know why they don't put more emphasis on that?? Good luck you! ~ D.
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