In the early 1980s, I joined the ranks of the one in six women worldwide who were infertile. I have seen firsthand how treatment options and practices have changed over 40 years. However, the most profound difference between then and now is the sheer amount of misinformation and confusion surrounding fertility treatments today.

My personal journey with infertility spanned more than 15 years and I had to navigate through the expanding and rapidly evolving nature of IVF on my own as there were little resources available. This experience cut deep and culminated into what has fueled my passion to this day, which was to clearly maintain a parent and child focus, requiring a transparent and ethical process for gamete (egg and sperm) donation.

In the 1980s, I had one of the first 100 babies with donor gametes in the U.S. There were no regulations, guidelines, testing requirements or egg donor agencies. I found my own egg donor and through my struggles, I realized that intended parents and donors needed a trustworthy, transparent, and supportive environment which led me to found one of the first egg donor agencies in the U.S., X and Y Consulting in 1996, dedicated to connecting aspiring parents with qualified egg donors.

Egg-freezing success rates had improved considerably, and I recognized that ‘future parents’ should be able to opt for a simpler path to third-party assisted reproduction. This insight drove me to develop and lead Cryo Eggs International (CEI) as CEO, the world’s first commercial frozen donor egg bank. In 2005, we celebrated a historic milestone with the birth of the first baby from eggs provided by a commercial egg bank.

In 2009, I merged the two companies to create The World Egg Bank. In 2015, we implemented the first and only business model to undertake all egg donation, and later sperm donation, at one single, inclusive location to control gamete production and quality.

Now known as The World Egg and Sperm Bank, our dedicated team has helped bring more than 7,000 children into the world, making the dream of parenthood a reality for many families.

My commitment to ethical practices is at the heart of everything we do. I have been a vocal advocate against the exploitation of human-trafficked gametes and have published numerous articles and Industry Reports on various topics . I strongly believe it is our duty as healthcare professionals to educate, inform, and empower people like you. Future parents should have the right to know where their donor’s gametes come from and how the clinics retrieving eggs are monitored and audited by outside, independent organizations.

In 2023, I was honored to be named to Forbes’ “50 Over 50” list (50 women over 50 years old), a prestigious award which recognized my contributions as an innovator in reproductive medicine and ethical healthcare practices.

My life experiences have shaped the mission of The World Egg and Sperm Bank — to provide vital fertility services worldwide while maintaining the highest ethical standards. This landscape is ever-changing, but our mission is not. Together, we can navigate this road with confidence and integrity for the children we create.

Warm regards,

Founder/CEO, The World Egg and Sperm Bank