I Want to Put a Baby in You!

Christina moved to Colorado from Miami, Florida to train at the Olympic Training Center in the sport of judo. She qualified for the 2004 Olympics for the US, and attended the Olympics in Athens, Greece as Olympic Alternate after sustaining an injury at the Olympic Trials. It was after this that she decided to pursue her life-long passion of caring for patients. She graduated from the University of Colorado with honors, and achieved her dream after being accepted to medical school and completing her residency in Emergency Medicine, becoming a Board Certified Physician. Throughout her education, the importance of being a passionate advocate for patients and her community stood strong. Diagnosed with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea in her 20s, she realized that she too was an infertility warrior battling the emotional, physical, and significant financial challenges associated with infertility. Frustrated with the lack of resources and support to build families, she started Colorado Fertility Advocacy (which joined with the non-profit Colorado Fertility Advocates) with the hopes of joining passionate like minds who can be the voice to create change for others struggling with infertility. Dog mom and wife to a loving supportive husband, she continues her journey with the hopes to add a miracle baby to their family and to help others do the same. Listen to Dr. Y as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • Her path to the Olympics – starting Judo at age 5! • Becoming a physician, and now serving as the Olympic team physician. • Discovering her fertility diagnosis. • The outrageous costs of IVF treatments, without insurance coverage. • Considering her different options for growing her family. • How she got started on advocating for changing the laws on infertility coverage in Colorado. • Starting Colorado Fertility Advocacy, and joining with Colorado Fertility Advocates. • The status of the bill, HB20-1158, The Colorado Building Families Act • What you can do to help make a change! Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Colorado Fertility Advocates: https://coloradofertilityadvocates.org/ Learn more about HB20-1158, The Colorado Building Families Act https://resolve.org/get-involved/advocate-for-access/our-issues/protecting-your-right-to-build-a-family/2020-state-advocacy-efforts/

Will Halm has a few credentials besides being Malina’s father (but none more important). He is the Managing Partner of International Reproductive Law Group. He has specialized in the field of assisted reproductive law for over 20 years. Will is a magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, and received his J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the father of three children through surrogacy and egg donation – including Malina Simard-Halm (of course), also a guest of the podcast. He has devoted his legal career to surrogacy and egg donation law. Will’s legal work in the field of assisted reproduction has been featured in numerous documentaries, television programs, publications, and books, including 20/20, NBC News, The New York Times, UK Guardian, the Advocate, and others. Will has set a number of legal precedents in the field of assisted reproduction law, including being granted, in 1998, the first parentage judgment to a same-sex couple in a gestational surrogacy case. Will is a member of the American Bar Association, Assisted Reproductive Technology Section and Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys. Listen to Will as he discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • How he met his now husband. • The discriminations they faced when looking into having children of their own. • Their first attempts at surrogacy and their experience with the early starts of the surrogacy industry. • Their first successful, miracle surrogacy journey. • How they handled the legal issues of their first child being born through surrogacy. • Moving from Los Angeles to New Mexico. • His experience with being one of the only same sex couples in their children’s school. • How they talked to their children about their conception. • His relationships with the donors and surrogates. • How he talked with his children about which parent is the biological parent. • How he transitioned from corporate law to ART law. • His advice to intended parents. • What he sees for the future of ART law. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Will’s law firm: http://irlawgroup.com/ Learn more about Growing Generations: https://www.growinggenerations.com/

Malina Simard-Halm was conceived through assisted reproductive technologies. Malina is part of a family of five with two dads and two brothers also conceived through assisted reproductive technologies. One of the first children born to two gay fathers through assisted reproduction, she has been a longtime advocate for LGBTQ families. For the past three years, Malina has served as a member of the Board of Directors of COLAGE and also sits on the board of Family Equality, two organizations dedicated to LGBTQ equality and justice. Malina graduated from Yale College with a degree in Ethics, Politics and Economics and just received her Masters from Cambridge University in Criminology. She’ll continue to study the legal contours of inequity in law school. Malina lives with her fathers and two little brothers, Harley and Luc, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Listen to Malina as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • When she first realized that her family dynamic was different than other families. • Her first experiences with homophobia and discrimination. • How her fathers started the conversation of her birth and family. • Her thoughts on the idea that individuals need both a father and a mother. • Having her first period and having two dads. • How she dealt with homophobia or discrimination against her family. • How she handled Mother’s Day in school and growing up. • How she found a community of similar families and experiences. • How it has been for her brothers growing up. • The impact of knowing who is the “biological father” and identity of her egg donor. • Her relationship with her surrogate and egg donor. • Her fathers, a doctor and an ART Attorney! • Her future goals professionally and personally. • Her message to intended parents. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Colage: https://www.colage.org Learn more about Growing Generations: https://www.growinggenerations.com/

Steve Snyder is nationally known for his work helping families with assisted reproduction law. He is the past chair of the American Bar Association's Assisted Reproductive Technology Committee, Family Law Section. Steve has taught numerous reproductive law continuing legal education classes to fellow Minnesota attorneys, as well as to lawyers from across the globe. Many attorneys refer assisted reproductive law cases to him because of his extensive knowledge in the field. Steve has been recognized as a Super Lawyer, and he is also AV Rated (which means judges and fellow attorneys have noted him as having the highest degree of legal ability and ethical standards). Listen to Steve as he discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • His childhood and how he ended up practicing ART law. • His first surrogacy case in 1991 and pioneering the legal process in Minnesota. • His work on surrogacy laws for international clients. • His thoughts on the reason for not allowing surrogacy under European law. • Trends that he is seeing in proposed laws and views on surrogacy in other countries. • His thoughts on screening and/or restricting intended parents using surrogacy. • His thoughts on testing and selecting of embryos. • His thoughts and advice for international listeners. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Steve Snyder’s law firm: https://www.snyderlawfirm.com/

Crystal Rosburg is a two-time surrogate. She carried for a lovely same sex couple from France and was featured in a documentary of the journey. Crystal is also Intake Coordinator of our very own Southwest Surrogacy! She uses her professional experience from working at The Fertility Center of Law Vegas as an IVF Department Supervisor and her personal surrogacy experience to support intended parents and gestational carriers in growing families. Listen to Crystal as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • How she ended up in Las Vegas and the wonderful world of assisted reproductive technologies. • How she decided to become a surrogate. • Convincing her husband about surrogacy…and then about being part of a documentary. • Having her boss as her doctor. • The first transfer and her fears. • The paperwork scare. • A successful birth of a beautiful baby girl. • Logistics of giving birth on a documentary. • An update on the documentary. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about the Documentary: https://www.facebook.com/ghostsoftherepublique/

Wendy Kramer is Director of the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR). The DSR is a charity organization, founded in 2000 by Wendy and her donor-conceived son Ryan, to assist individuals conceived as a result of sperm, egg or embryo donation that are seeking to make mutually desired contact with others with whom they share genetic ties. With more than 66,000 members in 105 countries, the DSR has helped to connect more than 17,000 people with their half-siblings and/or their donors. Without any outside support, the DSR has pioneered an international discussion about the donor conception industry and the families, with its research, speaking engagements and media appearances. Wendy has co-authored numerous published papers on donor-conception, has reviewed abstracts for the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, and has been a peer reviewer for the journals Human Reproduction and RBM Online. She was Associate Producer on the Style Network's 2011 Emmy nominated show Sperm Donor and on MTV News & Docs, series Generation Cryo, that aired in December 2013. Wendy and her son Ryan have appeared on 60 Minutes, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America and many other news shows and publications. Wendy is co-author of the book Finding our Families: A first-of-a-kind Book for Donor Conceived People and Their Families. Listen to Wendy as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • Wendy’s backstory and how she got inspired to start the DSR. • What the DSR does and how they help donor conceived people. • Key takeaways from the research they have conducted. • Shifting from anonymous donation to known donation through the DSR. • Common misconceptions of sperm/egg/embryo donations. • How the DSR works and how it protects your personal information. • Accepting your infertility to move forward in being in an open donation. • Unfortunate stories of profits before ethics. • How DNA testing has changed the industry and DSR. • Wendy’s thoughts on how to fix the industry. • Wendy’s advice to those searching for a donor or donor clinic. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about the Donor Sibling Registry: https://www.donorsiblingregistry.com Purchase Wendy’s book, Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor-Conceived People and Their Families: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Families-First-Its-Kind-Donor-Conceived/dp/1583335269/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1383854617&sr=1-1 Purchase Wendy’s book, Your Family: A Donor Kid's Story: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0692106936?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&tag=storypodca-20&linkId=2P4S6EY6B462X4AR

Samantha Frazee is a Foster Parent Engagement Specialist with Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services. Samantha is responsible for the recruitment and retention of foster care providers in Boulder County. She does this primarily through community outreach, speaking events, and word of mouth. Samantha has an identical twin sister, is happily married to her wife of 20 years and has 3 wonderful children through foster care. Listen to Samantha as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • Her backstory, coming out and meeting her future wife in college. • How they attempted to conceive the “lesbian old fashion way”. • Their criteria in looking for a donor. • Their rocky road trying to conceive. • Deciding to become foster parents. • The foster care processes and training. • Their first placement and subsequent disappointment. • Their second placement for a 3-day old baby and experiencing sudden parenthood. • Birth mom’s surprising reaction to them. • Adoption of their other 2 children. • Insight into the foster care process. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Foster Care in Boulder County: https://www.bouldercounty.org/families/foster-care-adoption/

Episode 64: You Are Not Alone - Barbara Collura by I Want to Put a Baby in You!

Robyn Perchik is the managing partner of Beverly Hills Egg Donation (BHED). An accomplished senior executive with over 29 years’ experience in risk management underwriting, Robyn brings her skills in strategic planning, operations, business development, human resource management and finance to BHED. Robyn has been married for 29 years and is the mother of three boys and one grandson. Robyn understands first-hand the challenges of combining work and home, and the central importance of creating a family. Listen to Robyn as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • Her background, expertise and how she ended up in this fascinating field. • What makes BHED different from other agencies. • Her thoughts on anonymity and home DNA testing. • Some things that can disqualify an individual from being an egg donor. • Working with international clients and managing the different time zones. • Traveling for work -- luckily her hobby is also traveling! • Medications used in an egg donation. • Questions to ask an agency when looking to choose an agency to work with. • The average compensation for a donor. • Her thoughts on regulations for egg donations. • Her advice to those looking to donate or looking for an egg donor. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: https://www.brightfuturesfamilies.com/ Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Robyn and Beverly Hills Egg Donation: www.bhed.com

Christina Ewoldt is extremely proud to have helped three families realize their dream of having a baby, while creating the extended "family" she has always wanted in return. She is passionate about surrogacy and enjoys mentoring other surrogates and intended parents to mitigate risk and create their own beautiful surrogacy journeys. She is currently writing a memoir on her surrogacy experiences to memorialize the stories for those families she helped and has high hopes of publishing it one day! She is an “almost-Colorado-native”, having lived in the beautiful state since she was 3 years old. She lives in Thornton with her husband, two rambunctious boys, and a sweet, geriatric Beagle. She is a Cub Scout Den Leader and an avid event/theme party planner! Christina recently left the corporate world to start her own business, PM Oh! Services, LLC (www.pm-oh.com), specializing in fractional PMO services, contract project management and business transformation services; where she hopes to share her love of all things project management to make organizations more efficient, effective, and productive. Listen to Christina as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • Her background and how she got into surrogacy. • Her experience finding and using an agency. • Her family’s reaction to her choosing to be a surrogate. • Her experience with her first surrogacy journey. • Deciding to do a second journey while still at the hospital from the first journey! • The third journey and the complications. • Her advice to those considering being a surrogate. • Her thoughts on the ethics of surrogacy. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ If you would like to reach out to Christina Ewoldt, you can contact her at christinaewoldt@gmail.com

Michelle Minucci is a world traveler, and runs a life-coaching business, Stones Unturned, in San Diego (though she works worldwide). She coaches individuals whom are navigating transitions or seeking to gain more confidence, fulfillment, and balance in their lives, including those in the surrogacy, LGBT, and open-relationship communities. She has also been a surrogate, carried twins and now also writes children’s books to help families explain how they grew their family through assisted reproductive technology. Listen to Michelle as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn, the second part of her dramatic story: • Telling her husband she was ready to die • The feeling of being handicapped • Another blood transfusion and the following side effects • Finally, home! But post pardon depression kicks in • What’s that smell!?! • The Intended Mom drops a bomb shell… • How Michelle has moved on and what is in store for her future Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Stones Unturned and Michelle Minucci at http://stonesunturned.com/ Learn more about Surro Fairy and Michelle Minucci at https://www.surrofairy.com/

Michelle Minucci is a world traveler, and runs a life-coaching business, Stones Unturned, in San Diego (though she works worldwide). She coaches individuals whom are navigating transitions or seeking to gain more confidence, fulfillment, and balance in their lives, including those in the surrogacy, LGBT, and open-relationship communities. She has also been a surrogate, carried twins and now writes children’s books to help families explain how they grew their family through assisted reproductive technology. Listen to Michelle as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • Michelle’s childhood inspiration to give to others • Wanting to be an organ donor and deciding surrogacy is next closest thing! • Why she chose an agency as opposed to an independent journey (you don’t know what you don’t know) • The match meeting and moving forward with the surrogacy journey • The emotional first embryo transfer journey • The second embryo transfer, double this time • Twins! • Complications of the birth and a scary turn for the worse • To be continued…. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Stones Unturned and Michelle Minucci at http://stonesunturned.com/ Learn more about Surro Fairy at https://www.surrofairy.com/

Davina Fankhauser is president and cofounder for Fertility Within Reach. She is an advocate for fertility benefits for those struggling with infertility. In 2010, Davina successfully lobbied for improved fertility legislation in the state of Massachusetts. Fertility Within Reach was founded soon after to share what was learned from that experience, to teach others how to advocate for themselves and to educate policymakers on the benefits of providing insurance coverage to treat the disease of infertility. Listen to Davina as she discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • Davina’s background and struggles with infertility • A transfer of 7 embryos! • Her struggles with paying for fertility treatments without health insurance • Her high-risk pregnancy • Explaining that she would not have taken the risks that she took had she had insurance coverage • Her first time lobbying to update the definition of infertility • The creation of the policy makers guide • Her advice to other advocates and plans moving forward Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Davina and Fertility Within Reach: https://www.fertilitywithinreach.org

Kate Weldon LeBlanc is the Executive Director of Resolve New England. Kate leads the strategic vision of the organization and works collectively with the staff, Board of Directors and professional members to grow the services of Resolve New England throughout the New England region. Kate has a beautiful daughter (turning 12 this month!) through IVF. Listen as Kate discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • how her career path lead her to head Resolve New England • her personal experience and journey with infertility • differences between Resolve New England and Resolve: The National Infertility Association (they aren’t the same organization?) • Resolve New England’s advocacy work to help those in New England struggling with infertility Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Resolve New England: https://www.resolvenewengland.org/

Our most controversial episode to date. Kyle Gordy (not his real name) is a private sperm donor in Los Angeles, California that has been privately donating his sperm for the last 5 years through social media outlets such as Facebook and Craigslist. Gordy has over 15 genetic children through his private donations. But is this a wise option for hopeful parents, or does this path put Kyle (and all other parties) at legal risk? Listen to Kyle as he discusses with Ellen and Jenn: • His background and how he got started in private sperm donation. • His experience with his first sperm donation (at home!). • His opinions on the potential legal ramifications of his donations. • Why he signed a fake name on a legal agreement. • DIY sperm shipping!? • Medical and mental health screenings? • The future for his donations. Want to share your story or ask a question? Call and leave us a message on our hotline: 303-997-1903. Learn more about our podcast: https://iwanttoputababyinyou.com/ Learn more about our surrogacy agencies: brightfuturesfamilies.com Learn more about Ellen’s law firm: http://trachmanlawcenter.com/ Learn more about Kyle https://www.facebook.com/kylegordy123456