Keyword

Start publishing date

-

Tag

Meta Title

Header h1

Thursday, 17 May 2018 08:41

There Are Funds Services For Parents, There Should be for Infertility, Too.

By Ari Feldman

When Naomi Less was still in the throes of what would be her nearly seven-year-long infertility journey, she made a vow.

It was February 2014, and she had just written a passionate blog post about her struggle to have a baby. At 40, it would be nearly four more years before Less, a musician and Jewish communal and spiritual leader, would welcome her daughter Marlow into the world. Before several close friends, Less promised that whether or not she was successful, she would continue to advocate for Jewish women who are having trouble starting a family.

“When it comes to this issue, there’s nothing,” Less said. “Sure, there are a few gem examples out there, but there’s not much awareness around this.”

The response generated by Less’s post — and a subsequent presentation — eventually became a $150,000 project funded by UJA-Federation of New York. The program is noteworthy both because New York’s federation is the country’s biggest — it gave more than $180 million to other not-for-profits in 2016 — and because it has a distinctive creative component. Its primary goal is to raise awareness. Women in the field, and who have struggled with infertility, say that’s important, but must be seen as a means to the end of helping infertile Jewish women financially. Jewish infertility is a national problem and needs a national response, Less said.

“This needs to be on the Jewish agenda,” said Elana Frank, founder and executive director of Jewish Fertility Foundation, an Atlanta-based not-for-profit that funds fertility treatments and offers counseling services. “Why is it fair to get grants for day school, and for summer camp, and for Shabbat dinner, but not be able to grow your family?”

Frank’s organization received not-for-profit status in 2016. Their annual budget is now up to $250,000, and she gives grants to struggling couples. But fertility treatments to produce just one child can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Frank herself needed them to build her family, and to do it she moved to Israel, where assisted reproductive technology is subsidized by the state.

The Jewish Free Loan Association, based in Los Angeles, offers interest-free loans up to $15,000. Yesh Tikvah, also in Los Angeles, offers counseling and emotional support.

Some of the UJA grant money less received goes to local Jewish community centers, which will host support groups. The rest of it will go to an organization called Uprooted: A Jewish Response to Fertility Journeys, of which Less is a vice-president. The group aims to create a Jewish “healing community” that raises awareness and provides emotional support. Its funding will create a performance based on women’s infertility stories, called TRYmester, which will premiere on March 3 at a JCC in suburban New York before being shown at two more JCCs in the area. Less said she designed the performance to travel to other Jewish communities around the country, but no dates have been set.

That project began two years ago, after Less busted taboos by speaking publicly in an “ELI Talk” — a Jewish version of the famous TED Talks — about the disappointment of not being able to “achieve” a child, when her parents had always said that hard work could get her whatever she wanted. On Facebook, Less says, her blog post and talk led to an outpouring of stories from women telling her that they had also gone through fertility treatments without support from their synagogues, community centers and foundations.

“People who were struggling to start a family were feeling marginalized in the Jewish community,” says Shana Bloom, assistant director of UJA’s Caring Department. Bloom is overseeing UJA’s grant for raising awareness about fertility.

Bloom said that UJA decided to fund the performance as a “pilot” program to determine how the organization would fund other organizations that focus on infertility. She agreed with Less that their first step needed to be in calling attention to the issue.

“There are people who we could reach through an artistic medium who we might not be able to reach through other mediums,” she said.

Less says the performance, called TRYmester, shows the “cycle of emotion that one experiences over and over in the process of infertility.” It is spaced out over three acts — with an epilogue that shows that the cycle of treatments can often repeat itself.

Frank and others who focus on the problem in the Jewish community see it as a particularly American Jewish issue. Nationally, one in eight couples will have trouble conceiving a child — that goes up to one in three for couples in which the woman giving birth is over 35. Studies have shown that Jewish women are much more likely than non-Jewish women to wait to have children until their 30s and 40s.

“Even eight years ago when I was going through my experience I thought I was the only one in the world,” she said.

Fertility treatments like IVF, egg donation and hormonal treatments are often not covered by health insurance. Only a third of large businesses cover IVF, and only 15 states require insurers to provide any kind of coverage for fertility treatments.

Before giving birth to Marlow, Less says she went through seven rounds of IVF and two rounds of donor eggs. She switched clinics several times and ended seeking her last two rounds of treatment in Syracuse, at a clinic where a round of IVF cost $12,500, less than half of what the treatment can cost in New York City. She estimates that the entire process cost close to $100,000.

Less says she was able to privately raise funds for her treatments from family and friends in her community, as well as from private donors who knew her through her work as a song leader and performing artist. Less is also a ritual leader at the nondenominational Lab/Shul spiritual community.

“I’m very lucky, because I’m extremely well connected in the Jewish community,” she said. “I’m really privileged in that sense. There are people who do not know philanthropists and very wealthy people.”

Less says she avoided seeking a loan because she was afraid of having to pay it back if the pregnancy failed.

“If the treatment doesn’t work, you still have to pay back that loan,” she said. “And then you’re reminded every month of how it didn’t work, and that was too daunting for me.”

Leora Kaye, a rabbi who works for the Union for Reform Judaism, was one of dozens of women interviewed by the creators TRYmester. She said the performances will be worth it if they attract the attention of major Jewish philanthropists.

“It’s not going to do a whole lot of immediate help for the financial end of it. But incremental change can end up being pretty radical,” she said. “Until we start having this conversation more publicly, we’re not gonna have the basis to go to our major foundations and say to them, look at how prevalent this is, look at how much is there.”

“We’ve got people who want to add more people,” Kaye added. “And if we have the funding available to educate children, and send them to camp, and build up their identities in all kinds of spaces, then I’d like to believe that we can fund literally bringing those children into the world.”

Elana Frank said she has seen an awareness of infertility growing more broadly in the U.S. Frank cited two documentaries on Netflix, “HAVEABABY” and “One More Shot,” that show the difficult journey that infertility represents for many couples. Recently, Tammy Duckworth, the U.S. Senator from Illinois, announced that she is having a second child at 49. She will become the first sitting Senator to give birth.

In the Jewish world, Frank says, she’s talked about the exorbitant expense of fertility treatments as a Jewish problem with concerned funders in Chicago and Philadelphia. She’s also worked with the genetic screening provider JScreen to educate couples on the genetics of fertility. But her work is just beginning.

“We gotta remember why we started all of this,” Frank said. “Because we were alone, poor and wanting to grow our families.”

Learn more about international surrogacy

Delivering Dreams helps couples throughout the US struggling with infertility have children. Located in NJ and Kyiv Ukraine, our amazing medical facilities and professionals, surrogates and donors are in Ukraine, because Ukrainian law protects the rights of parents and their children from inception at affordable costs and high success rates.

Unique to Delivering Dreams, we offer guaranteed not to exceed, all-inclusive pricing and contracts under US law to provide prospective parents legal and financial security.

1 in 6 couples are struggling with infertility. You are not alone. We want to be your path to parenthood.

Would you like to learn more? Please contact us to share your challenges, ask questions and discuss solutions. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 1.908.386.3864.

International surrogacy made simple!

Read 2366 times

Most Important Measure of Ukrainian Surrogacy Success #2

The second and most important metric is sustained implantation rate: the probability that any transferred embryo will implant and progress to delivery. In the event of a single-embryo transfer, the metric is identical to delivery rate per transfer. By calculating per embryo, it provides a summary of the quality of…

Your Guide to Trimester-by-Trimester Fetal Development

Pregnancy is a beautiful and transformative journey that brings joy, excitement, and anticipation to expectant parents. It is a time filled with wonder as new life grows within the womb. Understanding the changes that occur during each trimester of pregnancy can help parents-to-be navigate this incredible experience with confidence and…

Ukraine Allows Unlimited Embryo Storage

Some countries limit the number of years you are able to store embryos. In Ukraine you can store them for any period of time very affordably. We can then help you with IVF or Surrogacy when in the future, or ship them securely to a destination convenient to you. Contact…

Testimonials

I am very satisfied with the medical services. Coordinator Lyubov was always in touch, answered any questions quickly and clearly, and helped in any difficult situations. The level of personal support and genuine concern for my health and well-being was 100 percent. I am very pleased that I am going through the surrogacy program with this agency. I feel protected and confident. I really like the attitude of the agency, timely payments, and the curator and manager make sure that pregnant girl...
Read more
Olga T.
I am very pleased to meet such beautiful and kind people Hello everyone, I'm Myroslava and I'm going through my SM program at the Delivering Dreams agency. I want to express a big thank you to the girls who cooperate with me, who worry about my condition, who are always in touch, and who always support me - Omelchuk Lyubov and Anna Levchenko. I've already been to a program and therefore I have something to compare it with, this agency and the staff are at the highest level. And also the doct...
Read more
Myroslava
Hallo Oksana,  vielen Dank für Deine ausführliche Erklärung. Wir haben alles gut verstanden. Das zeichnet due Arbeit von Euch und Eurem Ärzteteam aus. So kann man gut vertrauen. Hello Oksana, Thank you very much for your detailed explanation. We understood everything well. This is what distinguishes the work of you and your medical team. This is a good way to trust.
German couple
One of the best teams and my program! Hello! I want to share my experience and my impression of my program, one of the best programs, and the team from the Delivering Dreams Agency! Great attitude, attentive staff, responsible! Always in touch 24/7! Lyubov Omelchuk is a wonderful person, she was with me from the first minute of implantation until the end of the entire program! I am grateful that Lyubov was always with me! People of their word! Staff who never let you down! I highly recommend...
Read more
Anna Priazhnikova
DD is outstanding We have just returned home to California with our beautiful daughter who was born in Lviv. The Delivering Dreams team made our trip so easy and straightforward. From our arrival to Ukraine to our departure, they had everything covered. The constant communication from the team is amazing. All of our paperwork for the embassy was properly prepared and organized. I cannot recommend them enough, we are even thinking about having another baby with DD!
Andrey Frenkel
Thank you very much Dear Oksana, Thank you very much for the great news. We still can't believe it and are totally speechless. The work you do under these difficult conditions cannot be put into words. Thank you very much for that. Liebe Oksana, vielen Dank für die super schöne Neuigkeit. Wir können es noch gar nicht glauben und sind total sprachlos. Was Ihr für eine Arbeit leistet, unter den schweren Bedingungen,  kann man nicht in Worte fassen. Vielen herzlichen Dank dafür.
Couple from Germany
Very friendly, pleasant team I am very grateful to the international surrogacy agency Delivering Dreams for such a short period of experience that dispelled all doubts and the remains of incomprehensible questions that were before and during this program, but I had a wonderful curator Lyuba who did not leave me for a second even on distances?❤️ This is how experienced, pleasant, kind woman you want to go to the program at least immediately after finishing the first one! Very friendly, pleasa...
Read more
Angelina
Thank you for the wonderful experience and the opportunity to help future parents. I also want to thank Lyubov Omelchuk (Delivering Dreams) for her kindness and empathy, she was always in touch throughout the program, especially since the rehabilitation course is based on the supervision and advice of the curator. My worries about the procedure were in vain because everything went perfectly, thanks to the 24/7 support of the curator and qualified doctors Дякую за чудовий досвід, та змогу...
Read more
Angelina
I recommend this agency. I was a surrogate mother in this agency, I really liked everything. The doctors treated me well and explained everything clearly. Curator Lyuba and Anya are always in touch and answer all questions, always supporting. I recommend this agency. Я була сур мама в цьому агентство, мені все дуже сподобалося лікарі гарно відносяться, розповідають все доступно. Куратор Люба і Аня завжди на зв'язку і відповідать на всі запитання, завжди підтримують. Рекомендую це агентство.
Yuliia
Thank you very much for worrying about me.  I really want to start the program at Delivery Dreams agency. The doctors here are extraordinary. Coordinator Lyubov is also extraordinary, always in touch and worries about me. After the hysteroscopy, Lyubochka is on the phone with me 24/7. Thank you very much for worrying about me. I hope that my program will start soon and I will present the baby to the biological parents. Thank you for being there!?? Я дуже хочу почати програму в агенстві De...
Read more
Nastya

Under Ukrainian law, surrogacy is a legal affordable option for traditionally married couples to have children using their own embryos, or with either an egg or sperm donor. There must be a medical reason you can’t carry a child. You are also able to participate if you have had 4 unsuccessful IVF attempts.

CONTACT US

Under Ukrainian law, surrogacy is a legal affordable option for traditionally married couples to have children using their own embryos, or with either an egg or sperm donor. There must be a medical reason you can’t carry a child. You are also able to participate if you have had 4 unsuccessful IVF attempts.