May 17th, 2012
 I became interested in egg donation last summer when a coworker of mine mentioned, during our lunch break, that she was in the process of donating. I had heard of the process before but never gave it much thought until she told me about her experience. She was in the last phase of the process, the self-injections, and was so overjoyed with the experience. She talked about how comfortable it had all been and how great it felt to help a family grow. This got me interested and I immediately began researching my options. I quickly discovered a wealth of positive feedback, both from donors and recipients. Next I brought the idea up with my doctor, who gave me her approval. She assured me there was little health risk involved and agreed that donation would be a great gift to give a hopeful parent-to-be.
During this “discovery time,” I was in the middle of a cross-country move from Boston to Los Angeles. Once I arrived in LA and gave myself time to get comfortable, I began looking for a donation agency. I found BHED online and – after reading countless, positive reviews of the company – I decided to apply. The application process was easy. I began with an online profile and included all of my history. I then met with a BHED consultant to review my background and go over the details. After our meeting I was added to the database and the rest is history! I’m currently awaiting a match.
The idea of being part of something way bigger than myself is very exciting. I’m 22 years old and have no plans to start a family soon. Since I’m not currently using my eggs, I hope to give them to a recipient who is hoping to have a child now. I’m comfortable traveling, as well as having either an open donation or no contact whatsoever with the recipient; basically whatever helps the parent feel more at ease. I feel very blessed to have found BHED and am excited to contribute to a family!
- Rene #13291
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May 3rd, 2012
Today’s donor spotlight, Rose #11943, is 23 years old and a proud graduate of UCLA. An athletic, quirky beauty, Rose is a static trapeze master who speaks Kiswahili and has worked with NGO’s and service organizations in Africa and Guatemala. She’s available for a cycle immediately and is looking forward to helping a couple in need. Her personal essay is below.
 “A short history of me:
I graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA (unweighted) and was accepted to UCLA in the field of political science theory, which was my major until being accepted into the UCLA film school. I completed my undergrad degree in Cinematography (3.7 GPA). I practice and teach static trapeze and other circus skills, and have always enjoyed physical adventure (kayaking, hiking, etc). I’m not particularly competitive except with myself. I enjoy the sciences a great deal, and have always academically excelled in the arts and humanities. In high school I was very involved with the theater and directed several large productions as a fundraiser for a free women’s cancer clinic. I draw, paint and sew on my own time, while my degree at UCLA focused on both the technical and artistic side of photography and lighting. I love to read, to be outside, to find new music and to get to know new people. I will try any food once. (I don’t know if any of that is genetic, but it probably can’t hurt).
My family: I come from a large family, while I only have one sister (she is 15 and brilliant), my grandmother had eleven children and I have around 30 first cousins (many of whom have 2 to 5 children of their own). Within that large group there’s an incredibly diverse range of talents, but a common thread of ‘proactive’ with a sizable handful of artistry and the occasional Olympian (gymnastics and kayaking). Osteoporosis in the 80+ crowd is common. My grandfather has it fairly severely. He also fell down the stairs and broke his neck two Christmases ago, was in a coma for two weeks, and is now back to hiking with my grandma. I think this demonstrates rather well the stubborn immortality complex that has been common amongst all of my older relatives (my grandma still refuses to retire).
Over the past three years one of my friends became infertile due to ovarian cysts, and another participated as an egg donor in a program in northern California. After seeing the immense hurt of discovering one might not be a mother, and watching another friend experience helping a couple achieve the family they desire, I’m interested in also helping a couple reach that goal. I love children and do intend to raise a family of my own, but for me it is in the distant future… However, I have these eggs sitting around if you’d like to use some…
-rose”
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March 29th, 2012
 From our companion site, Ask Kate:
Q: I’m anticipating 2 major out-of-town events: my brother is graduating college on 5/5; and close friends getting married on 5/26. What is your experience with timelines and cycle startups? What are some possible scenarios? Have you ever had doctors allow you to go out of town for 2-4 days during a cycle? And if so, will they work with you pending your consistency with the protocol and availability for major follow-ups and procedures? I’ll of course ask my doctor when I go in for results in a month, but I’d like to have an idea and start getting my ducks in a row ASAP.
A: First, congratulations on being matched. Big news. As for your schedule – you have been picked. The chosen one, literally. The cycle cannot go forward without you. That said, ALL of the responsbibility lies on you at this point – and until the second the anesthesiologiest awakens you post-retrieval. If there is anything, anything, anything you need to make your med team aware of, do it immediately, whether you think it’ll be an issue or not. You have the right to list some blackout dates, but that doesn’t mean you get to dictate the schedule; it means it’ll be taken into consideration. If you have signed legal, and you are in the throes of testing, you are responsible for showing up for appointments every single time they’re on the schedule. It’s not just you going through the calendar, it’s the recipient/surrogate, so everything you’re doing is in sync with another person, and if you can’t adhere to the schedule, it can’t move forward.
I have said this so many times it hurts: When you’re a donor, your cycle and responsibility trumps everything. Every. Thing. Not only are you being paid to abide, your eggs are the life bread that are keeping someone else’s dreams of a family going. Once you start your hormone injections, your doctor may want to see you every other day. I have done cycles where I have run the risk of hyperstimulation and I had to be in the office daily at 8am until retrieval. There’s no telling how your cycle will go. Be very upfront with anything you may see as a problem and DO NOT underestimate information. Good luck.
- Kate Lee, 6-time BHED donor
www.askaneggdonor.com
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February 17th, 2012
BHED Managing Partner Robyn Perchik was honored to attend this year’s Family Equality Council awards dinner honoring Prop 8 opponent Chad Griffin. Celebrating 30 years in 2012, Family Equality Council connects, supports, and represents LGBT parents in the United States and the two million children they’re raising. The evening’s honoree – Chad Griffin – has been a powerful voice in the struggle for marriage equality, advocating for its recognition as a right and privilege that is essential for LGBT parents to fully protect and nurture their families.
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January 23rd, 2012
 When the year of the dragon – considered the luckiest Chinese lunar year – kicked off today, it brought with it more than the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. It also heightened the stakes for Chinese couples eager to have “dragon babies.”
Today’s Wall Street Journal features top fertility companies – including BHED – in a front page article that explores the recent surge in Chinese and Chinese-American couples undergoing egg donation and IVF treatments in hopes of having a child in the year of the dragon. According to the WSJ, “Chinese often schedule important life events to take advantage of the luckiest times [...] even though births are trickier to plan, in 2000, the most recent year of the dragon, 202,000 babies were born in Taiwan than a year earlier.” BHED Managing Partner, Robyn Perchik, was interviewed for the piece – noting the huge surge in contracts signed for Chinese egg donors in recent months as compared to the same period last year.
Check out the full article here:
Having a Baby in Year of the Dragon Is Too Lucky to Be Left to Chance
Tags: Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, Chinese New Year, egg donation, IVF, Robyn Perchik, Wall Street Journal, year of the dragon
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January 16th, 2012
BHED Managing Partner Robyn Perchik spoke to “The Fight” magazine about our role in helping same-sex couples create or add to their families.
Check out the article in the magazine’s December issue!
Egging On
Tags: "The Fight", Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, gay parenting, Robyn Perchik
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January 10th, 2012
 With the New Year upon us, and finding myself in a new and exciting relationship, I can’t help but be optimistic about the future. My mantra for 2012 (and life in general) is simply, “The best is yet to come!”
An entrepreneur by day and an MBA student by night, I thrive on keeping busy and the excitement of life! I am very involved in my community through various organizations like the Ronald McDonald House, American Cancer Society, Crisis Pregnancy Outreach, and the local Young Professionals group.
After graduating with my MBA, I plan to continue starting new business ventures and non-profits in the US and abroad, while traveling to exciting places like Greece, Costa Rica, and South Africa. I hope to be able to give back to those less fortunate in a very big way.
Being a future egg donor with Beverly Hills Egg Donation excites me because I know how special family truly is. The process of being selected and interviewed by BHED, and my own self-introspection about embarking on this process, has afforded me the chanc to re-evaluate myself, my motives, and my future ambitions.
I look forward to having my own family someday, and in the meantime, I’m happy to help others fulfill their dreams! I grew up in a wild and love-filled family of six, so I definitely understand the joys of children and family. There’s nothing more significant in life!
My friend recently posted this quote on her Facebook profile, and I just love it. It sums up what is to come if we trust in the process and do our part to dream and live our best lives possible.
“Welcome to the best year of your life! Let’s go places we’ve never been, do things we’ve never done, love like we’ve never loved, and make this the best year yet.”
Cheers to that, and all that is yet to come for you and your family in 2012!
- BHED Donor, Elizabeth #11574
Tags: Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, egg donor
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October 20th, 2011
 From our companion site, Ask Kate:
Q: I have been selected as an egg donor by two different recipients. I would like to do the cycles back-to-back. Is this something I can do? Do my periods remain on the same schedule throughout one cycle? How long does it take my ovaries to return back to normal so I can cycle again?
A: You can absolutely do this. I did it a couple of times for a couple who wanted to put my eggs on ice. Whatever the reason, you can pump these little eggies out back-to-back as you feel comfortable. You will want – and you’ll need – down time in between cycles. Usually, the doctors want you to have two regular periods before proceeding with another donation. This is standard protocol but, to be honest, one period was all I needed before hopping back into the game. During donations, you’ll start to figure out your body in a way you never thought you wanted or would have to. You feel things, physically, completely differently; you will take care of yourself differently; you will handle your hormones completely differently; and you will realize the need to heal 100% before jumping back into anything – and you will know when you’re ready. If the honor of your eggs is in such high demand, then you will be a veteran before you know it, but don’t let the experience pass you by – that won’t serve you in the end. Understand what’s going on, pay attention to the scheduling and pay attention to how you are responding to not only the hormones, but your recovery as well. Good luck, and congrats on your cycles!
- Kate Lee, 6-time BHED donor
www.askaneggdonor.com
Tags: BHED, egg donation, egg donor
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October 7th, 2011
 Lauren #12692 is 26 years old and lives in the greater Los Angeles area. She is available immediately and is very excited to help a recipient grow their family. Her personal essay is below.
“I am a middle child and only girl in my family. While most people think that means that it resulted in heavy brotherly and fatherly protection, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Being the only girl I learned to take care of myself, because I was outnumbered and not to mention the middle child. I think I always felt I had something to prove whether it was keeping up with the boys or being just as good as them in sports or hobbies. It most definitely gave me confidence and competitiveness.
Family is something I’m so proud to be a part of. My parents did such a great job showing us how lucky we are to have siblings and that we are all so loved. My childhood is a direct reflection as to what I want when I’m older, and I have my parents to thank for that. I look up to my parents a lot. When I think of all that they sacrificed for us it makes me realize how much you’re willing to do for your kids. They worked hard so that all three of us could have a private school education. They encouraged us to have extracurricular activities in music and sports and took us camping multiple times a year. I never thought growing up that I would want to be like them but now I enjoy doing all the things they instilled in us, like a passion for backpacking and hiking, football (my San Diego Chargers), music, art, fashion and being involved in my church and community.
I started volunteering at my church’s Sunday School, and I’m almost certain that’s where I fell in love with children and knew I was meant to be a mother. I continued to volunteer with children all throughout my schooling. That naturally lead me into babysitting as I got older and then becoming a certified nanny and volunterring at my pediatrician’s office.
I don’t think that every woman is born with a maternal instinct. I do know that I have it. And I do know that I can’t wait to have kids. And I have personal experience with friends who want kids but can’t have them. I can’t think of anything that would make me more heartbroken than coming to the realization that I could not have kids. It’s so amazing how far science has come in making things possible that were once so discouraging or seemed like the end of the road for some couples. I can’t imagine a better gift to someone than helping them have what I want more than anything.”
- Lauren #12692
Tags: Beverly Hills Egg Donation, BHED, egg donation, egg donation agency, egg donor, Los Angeles egg donor
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September 27th, 2011
 At Beverly Hills Egg Donation, we’ve always been committed to providing a supportive, personalized experience for our intended parents. But we recently took steps to make that experience even better by creating a new position for our longtime Cycle Coordinator, Ellie Goldman. Ellie is now BHED’s Director of Client Services.
So what difference does that make? Actually, a great deal. Ellie is an experienced and caring partner who is there for our intended parents from beginning to end, joining forces with them from the moment they contact BHED and seeing them through the entire process of choosing a donor.
You might wonder how Ellie and BHED work differently than other egg donation agencies. Many of them operate strictly as a business: intended parents pick their donor, send their payment, and the agency forwards the donor’s profile to the doctor. It’s impersonal and clinical at a time when intended parents are craving feedback, support and empathy.
At BHED, we don’t want our intended parents to feel like a cog in the wheel of a business transaction. On the contrary: our intended parents are the captains of a team of players whose ultimate shared goal is the creation of a baby. And Ellie is both team manager and head cheerleader, working with our intended parents to reserach and consider prospective donors, communicate questions and requests to donors of interest, and provide support. And if an intended parent desires a more personal connection to his or her donor, BHED is happy to host conference calls, Skype video chats, or face-to-face meetings between the parties, while still ensuring that everyone’s anonymity is protected.
 We know that the egg donation process can be overwhelming and anxiety provoking for intended parents. Our goal is to lessen that anxiety rather than add to it. We never want an intended parent to feel rushed into making a decision; in fact, 99 percent of the work Ellie does with and for intended parents happens before BHED is paid. While some intended parents know exactly which donor they want, others may need to take their time during the selection process. At no point will an intended parent feel any pressure to make a decision any faster than is comfortable. There is no time limit at BHED, and we do not ask for payment until our intended parents have chosen a donor and we have confirmed that she is ready to be matched. It is critical to us that by the time intended parents choose a donor and sign our agency agreement, they feel 100 percent confident moving forward not only with their donor, but with us.
At BHED, we are keenly aware that this process can be an isolating one, especially for intended parents who live abroad, far from their donor and doctors. Ellie’s new Director of Client Services position was created expressly for the benefit of our intended parents so that they have a dedicated team member who is always available for questions, feedback, and support.
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I became interested in egg donation last summer when a coworker of mine mentioned, during our lunch break, that she was in the process of donating. I had heard of the process before but never gave it much thought until she told me about her experience. She was in the last phase of the process, the self-injections, and was so overjoyed with the experience. She talked about how comfortable it had all been and how great it felt to help a family grow. This got me interested and I immediately began researching my options. I quickly discovered a wealth of positive feedback, both from donors and recipients. Next I brought the idea up with my doctor, who gave me her approval. She assured me there was little health risk involved and agreed that donation would be a great gift to give a hopeful parent-to-be.
