HAMILTON, ON, April 5 /CNW/ – Canada’s first open embryo donation program is being launched today by Beginnings Family Services, a not-for-profit registered charity providing compassionate pregnancy support services, infertility counseling, and adoption services to clients since 1985. “Embryo donation addresses a major dilemma for many Canadians who have completed in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments,” says Beginnings Executive Director, Kerry Vandergrift.

IVF has resulted in thousands of unused frozen embryos remaining stored in fertility clinics across Canada. Couples completing IVF treatment are faced with a dilemma – what to do with their remaining embryos. Until now, options were limited to having their embryos destroyed, leaving the embryos stored indefinitely, or donating their embryos for medical research.

“Now there’s another option,” says Ms Vandergrift. “Beginnings has launched an Embryo Donation Program giving couples the opportunity to donate their remaining embryos to infertile couples hoping to become parents. This altruistic donation offers embryos a chance for life, and hope for thousands of infertile Canadians.

Embryo donation is not adoption or surrogacy. The couple donating the embryo selects the recipient couple. The recipient female carries the embryo to term and becomes the delivered child’s birth mother. Importantly, the Beginnings Embryo Donation Program is based on ‘openness’ which involves ongoing communication and contact between the donor parents and the recipients, including the child.

Beginnings believes openness is most beneficial for the child. Ms Vandergrift explains, “An open approach allows the children to maintain a relationship with people important in their lives. Parents and children have access to information regarding the child’s cultural and genetic origins, as well as to any siblings they may have from the donor family.”

Beginnings provides professional services for the Embryo Donation Program including: registration, comprehensive recipient assessment reports and screening, openness education, profiles and posting, consultation and inter family meetings, referrals for legal advice and fertility clinic embryo transfer service, administration and follow-up, covenant agreements, and support over a lifetime for children and families across the country. Costs are comparable to or less than most domestic private adoptions and parallel the rigorous recipient screening process, education, consultation, preparation and support for on going open relationships. Beginnings offers financial assistance to those in need.

Potential donors and recipients may learn more about the Embryo Donation Program by visiting the Beginnings website at www.beginnings.ca.

For further information: Kerry Vandergrift, Beginnings Family Services, Executive Director, Work: (905) 529-6665

BEGINNINGS FAMILY SERVICES – April 5, 2010
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2010/05/c7799.html
First Open Embryo Donation Program to Launch in Canada

HAMILTON, ON – Canada’s first open embryo donation program is being launched
today by Beginnings Family Services, a not-for-profit registered charity
providing compassionate pregnancy support services, infertility counseling,
and adoption services to clients since 1985. “Embryo donation addresses a
major dilemma for many Canadians who have completed in-vitro fertilization
(IVF) treatments,” says Beginnings Executive Director, Kerry Vandergrift.

IVF has resulted in thousands of unused frozen embryos remaining stored in
fertility clinics across Canada. Couples completing IVF treatment are faced
with a dilemma – what to do with their remaining embryos. Until now, options
were limited to having their embryos destroyed, leaving the embryos stored
indefinitely, or donating their embryos for medical research. “Now there’s
another option,” says Ms Vandergrift. “Beginnings has launched an Embryo
Donation Program giving couples the opportunity to donate their remaining
embryos to infertile couples hoping to become parents. This altruistic
donation offers embryos a chance for life, and hope for thousands of
infertile Canadians.

Embryo donation is not adoption or surrogacy. The couple donating the embryo
selects the recipient couple. The recipient female carries the embryo to
term and becomes the delivered child’s birth mother. Importantly, the
Beginnings Embryo Donation Program is based on ‘openness’ which involves
ongoing communication and contact between the donor parents and the
recipients, including the child. Beginnings believes openness is most
beneficial for the child. Ms Vandergrift explains, “An open approach allows
the children to maintain a relationship with people important in their
lives. Parents and children have access to information regarding the child’s
cultural and genetic origins, as well as to any siblings they may have from
the donor family.”

Beginnings provides professional services for the Embryo Donation Program
including: registration, comprehensive recipient assessment reports and
screening, openness education, profiles and posting, consultation and inter
family meetings, referrals for legal advice and fertility clinic embryo
transfer service, administration and follow-up, covenant agreements, and
support over a lifetime for children and families across the country. Costs
are comparable to or less than most domestic private adoptions and parallel
the rigorous recipient screening process, education, consultation,
preparation and support for on going open relationships. Beginnings offers
financial assistance to those in need.

Potential donors and recipients may learn more about the Embryo Donation
Program by visiting the Beginnings website at www.beginnings.ca.

For further information: Kerry Vandergrift, Beginnings Family Services,
Executive Director, Work: (905) 529-6665

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