Birdies for Babies Fundraiser Date Set

Greg and I will be hosting our Birdies for Babies fundraiser on Saturday, July 16. 2011. It will be a golf outing at Tamarack Golf Club in Naperville, with a luncheon to follow for non-golfers. There will be a 50/50 raffle or raffle prizes of some sort, too. We are still coordinating pricing and exactly what will be included so look for more details to come shortly. In the meantime, mark your calendars for July 16th and get ready to help us raise some money for Baby O'Brien.

Upcoming July Fundraiser

When Greg and I first decided that we were going to pursue gestational surrogacy, we knew that it would be a big investment. In an effort to cover some of the cost we are planning for a golf outing fundraiser in July. We had the fortune of coming into contact with an amazing couple, Todd and Melissa, that are going to help us in the planning of our event. They currently have an annual fundraiser of their own called Birdies for Babies. It raises money for a couple that is undergoing fertility treatments and does not have insurance coverage or has exhausted all insurance coverage. You can learn more about their annual fundraiser at the following link: http://www.golfinvite.com/bfb

We are excited to be working with them on our own fundraiser in July. We will be sure to update the blog when a date is finalized and fundraising can begin. We know that with the help of our wonderful and supportive family and friends, we can raise a lot of money!!

A Match

Within a few days of working with Mindy Berkson, she had a profile of a potential surrogate for us to look at through email. Greg and I read through the profile and thought that this woman sounded perfect. Reading about her and her husband made us feel like they were people that we would have had as friends. Mindy set up a conference call for me with the potential surrogate. I was a little nervous, but mostly excited to speak with her and see if she would be someone that we would want to have carry our baby. During the phone call, I first shared some background information about me and Greg and how we met. Then I talked about our fertility journey and how we had come to the path of gestational surrogacy. Afterwards, the potential surrogate shared with me her background, past pregnancy and delivery experiences, and why she was interested in being a surrogate. The conference call went better than I could have ever imagined. We got along so well and seemed to have a lot in common. I felt very positive after the phone call and knew that this was a woman that Greg and I could move forward in our journey with. The next day as we were driving to Dubuque to visit some of my college friends, we received a phone call from Mindy telling us that the potential surrogate had liked us too and wanted to move forward in the process with us. We were so excited to hear this wonderful news!! It finally seemed as though things were turning around for us. There are still some more screenings that our potential surrogate will need to go through before our match is finalized, but Greg and I are very hopeful that things will continue to go smoothly.

Gestational Surrogacy

At our post-IVF consult with Dr. Beltsos it was agreed that gestational surrogacy would be our next step. The condition of my uterus seemed to be the obstacle that was keeping us from success in our past cycles. Greg and I were very impressed with Mindy from Lotus Blossom Consulting, but decided to research some local surrogacy agencies before making a final decision. We spent the next few weeks exploring all of our options. After meeting with the other agencies and talking to other women who had used gestational surrogates, we made a decision to work with Mindy. We felt that she had the most experience and resources to help us find the perfect surrogate. We also really trusted Dr. Beltsos' referral. You can learn more about Mindy Berkson and Lotus Blossom Consulting at the following link: http://lotusblossomconsulting.com/

Greg and I feel very confident in our choice and are excited to start the surrogacy process. We know that we are in great hands with Dr. Beltsos and Mindy Berkson. We continue to pray every night that our baby will find us soon. We are looking forward to keeping you updated in our journey. Please keep us in your  thoughts and prayers.