Posts tagged International
Episode 140: Israeli Surrogacy – Attorney Victoria Gelfand
Episode 140: Israeli Surrogacy – Attorney Victoria Gelfand

Where do Israeli intended parents go to for surrogacy? What specific hurdles do they have to overcome? Is surrogacy widely available within Israel? And what is so drastically different between the Israeli approach to genetic parentage -- whether through surrogacy or through reproduction technologies -- and the American one?

Victoria Gelfand (born and raised in Moscow, immigrated to Israel in her teens, educated in Tel Aviv and admitted to the Israeli bar in 2003) was the first attorney to provide legal assistance to Israeli couples and singles with respect to surrogacy procedures abroad back in 2006. In 2007, she achieved first recognition of surrogacy procedures carried out in India by the Israeli Ministry of Internal Affairs, creating a process that has since been used for all – well over two thousand – babies born to Israeli intended parents via surrogacy abroad. In 2008 she started her own practice which specializes exclusively on family formation and fertility law, and has won various precedential cases related to foreign surrogacy for Israeli intended parents. Victoria Gelfand, Law Offices is the only law firm outside North America which is a member of all three major US-based professional groups and societies in the field: the ABA, the AAAA, and SEEDS.

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Episodes 126-150Tyler EllisInternational, Legal Issues
Episode 130: Fertility and Film– Jessica McGaugh and Roma Sur
Episode 130: Fertility and Film– Jessica McGaugh and Roma Sur

Jessica McGaugh is an award-winning independent film director, cinematographer and editor working out of Denver, Colorado. Her work has been screened internationally including the Mumbai International Film Festival, Denver Film Festival, NDTV and Rocky Mountain PBS. Her feature films Red Pearl and Three Worlds, One Stage are distributed internationally on VOD and SVOD platforms. Jessica received an MFA in Film from Syracuse University and is currently teaching in the Film & Television Department at the University of Colorado Denver.

Roma Sur is a screenwriter and a documentary filmmaker, based in Denver, Colorado. After having lost her father at the age of  four, she and her sister were raised by their mother in one of the most unsafe cities of India. Not surprisingly, her characters are usually fierce, independent women, or young adult, who know how to give adversity a tight backhand. She writes young adult and female driven dramas with levity, that are a cross-pollination of her immigrant experience of living in the US for twenty years, and her childhood in India. Her recent feature screenplay, “The  Rock Within”, has got acknowledged by the Sundance Asian American lab, Stowe Story Labs, India’s leading pitch market, Film Bazaar, and Screencraft’s Funding contest. Sur has also served as an Executive Producer on two award-winning web series. She has been teaching fiction and non-fiction writing at  the University of Colorado since 2009.

The Rock Within is crafted by an Asian-American female Screenwriter, who battled infertility for over four years and a Director who had three miscarriages. The story is told through the voice of the female lead, Trisha Sen. It is anchored in the cross-cultural friendship that she creates with the second lead, Jennie Gaw. This forms the emotional core of the movie, which is a fresh take on the subject of infertility. The narrative is punctuated with humor and adventure without making light of the subject. The diverse nature of this project opens it up to a much broader international audience. The story ends on an uplifting note, proving a strong cathartic arc.

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Episodes 126-150Tyler EllisInternational, Loss
Episode 108: How I Became Your Mother: My Global Surrogacy Journey - Ginanne Brownell
Episode 108: How I Became Your Mother: My Global Surrogacy Journey - Ginanne Brownell

Since beginning her journalistic career in 1993 as an intern at CNN’s Larry King Live, Ginanne Brownell has covered stories in over 45 countries and on six continents. She worked on staff for CNN (Washington, DC) and Newsweek (London) and is currently a London-based freelance writer covering arts, culture, development and education stories.

Her writing has been appeared in publications including the New York Times, Financial Times, CNN, Conde Nast Traveller, Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, Scientific American, Salon, Foreign Policy and Washington Post. She has also done media consulting for UNICEF and J.K. Rowling’s Lumos Charity. Ginanne is the co-founder of she-files.com, a webzine highlighting stories about women written by women.

Ginanne is in the process of completing two narrative non-fiction books. "How I Became Your Mother: My Global Surrogacy Journey", is both a personal memoir about becoming a parent through surrogacy and also a journalistic deep dive examining a number of debates, discussions and conversations taking place internationally about surrogacy. Meanwhile her book "Ghetto Classics: How a Youth Orchestra Changed a Nairobi Slum" examines the role that music can play in community development.

Most importantly, she is the very proud mom of cheeky but exceedingly sweet three-year-old twins who were born via surrogacy in Illinois.

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Episodes 101-125Tyler EllisAuthor, Intended Parent, International, Surrogacy Expert
Episode 106: My Surrogacy Journey - Anna Buxton
Episode 106: My Surrogacy Journey - Anna Buxton

Like many women, Anna Buxton’s journey to motherhood was far more complicated and painful than she had ever realized was possible. Two missed miscarriages and subsequent surgeries to remove the pregnancies left Anna with severe scarring of the womb -- a condition known as Asherman’s Syndrome. Five operations over 16 months failed to correct the scarring and Anna was told that she would never be able to carry a pregnancy.

Anna is now Mum to three children born through surrogacy. She is also part of the team behind a new non-profit UK surrogacy organization that is doing things differently – My Surrogacy Journey. 

About My Surrogacy Journey:  My Surrogacy Journey is a UK surrogacy organization unlike anything that exists. We offer the most extensive emotional, practical, and logistical support that has ever been available to intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors for both domestic and international surrogacy.

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Episodes 101-125Tyler EllisEgg Donation, Intended Parent, International, Loss, Mental Health
Episode 104: Fifteen Months In Thailand - Bud Lake
Episode 104: Fifteen Months In Thailand - Bud Lake

Bud Lake is originally from New Jersey and moved to Madrid, Spain in 2001 to learn Spanish. Almost 20 years later he is still in Spain and now married with children. Bud met Manuel in Madrid in 2010 and moved to Valencia to live with him in 2011. In 2012 they were married and in 2013 their first son Álvaro was born via surrogacy in India. In 2015 their daughter Carmen was born in Thailand. Every surrogacy journey is its own special and unique journey.

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Episodes 101-125Tyler EllisIntended Parent, International, LGBTQ Parenthood
Episode 103: Breaking Ground For LGBTQ+ Parents - Dr. Ringler
Episode 103: Breaking Ground For LGBTQ+ Parents - Dr. Ringler

Dr. Guy Ringler is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is a proud partner with California Fertility Partners.

As a child, Dr. Ringler grew up in suburban Detroit, the son of a barber and a school bus driver, with his three sisters. He graduated with honors from the University of Michigan, followed by medical school in Detroit at Wayne State University, where he received the class award for highest honors in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Ringler completed post-graduate training at the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received awards for his research on placental function. Following years of clinical study and basic science research, Dr. Ringler moved west in 1990, to practice reproductive medicine with the founding physicians of California Fertility Partners.

Dr. Ringler has established a loyal patient following in Southern California and has developed an international reputation for expertise in reproductive medicine – especially surrogacy and third-party reproduction. His patients travel from Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa for his medical care. Dr. Ringler was one of the world’s first physicians to help gay men have babies through egg donation and surrogacy. He is committed to helping all members of the LGBTQ community fulfill their dreams of having children and building families.

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Episodes 101-125Tyler EllisEgg Donation, International, LGBTQ Parenthood, Reproductive Endocrinologist, Surrogacy Expert, Surrogacy Science
Episode 102: Found in Translation - Gloria Li
Episode 102: Found in Translation - Gloria Li

Gloria has a unique combination of interpersonal and technical skills, having been both an events planner and an IT specialist. Over the years, she has executed and designed trade shows with clients that include high-profile celebrities, Fortune 500 corporations for IT World Canada, and OutsourceWorld LLC. Gloria now manages a team of case managers and heads donor and surrogacy programs at Donor Concierge. Gloria has worked in the fertility field since 2013 and is an expert on egg donation, gestational surrogacy, and fertility care management.

Her warm and enthusiastic personality, along with flawless precision and attention to detail, has helped contribute to her success and client satisfaction. Gloria speaks fluent Mandarin and English. She is married with three young children.

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Episodes 101-125Tyler EllisEgg Donation, International, Surrogacy Expert
Episode 100: Ghosts of the Republique- Jonathon Narducci
Episode 100: Ghosts of the Republique- Jonathon Narducci

Jonathon Narducci is an award-winning commercial and music video director and cinematographer. He graduated from the University of Iowa, receiving his BA in Film and Comparative Literature with a focus in documentary filmmaking. Prior to the University of Iowa, Jonathon studied art and photography in Paris through Parsons School of Design. It was the time spent in Paris that ignited his love for cinema.

Jonathon’s feature-length directorial debut, Love Me, was an official selection at HotDocs Film Festival in Toronto. The film’s premier and success at HotDocs led to its distribution in over 20 countries worldwide. Additionally, Love Me is currently available for streaming on Netflix. His sophomore feature documentary, Ghosts of the Republique, is currently in post-production. The film follows the trials and tribulations of a gay French couple attempting to have a child through surrogacy, despite France’s national ban against surrogacy. Jonathon has also worked as the Director of Photography on the critically acclaimed international film, Out of the Village, which has premiered at more than 70 film festivals around the world.

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Episodes 76-100Tyler EllisIntended Parent, International, LGBTQ Parenthood, Surrogacy Expert
Episode 95: Our Daughter Is American, Too - Derek Mize & Jonathan Gregg
Episode 95: Our Daughter Is American, Too - Derek Mize & Jonathan Gregg

Derek Mize and Jonathan Gregg are a married couple that, like others, dreamed one day of becoming parents. When their daughter was born in 2018 by surrogacy in the United Kingdom they were overjoyed. Given that both dads are US citizens and legally recognized as their daughter’s parents, they never imagined that their baby daughter would be denied recognition as a US citizen, too. But she was! With the help of Immigration Equality, Lambda Legal, and pro bono counsel from Morgan Lewis, they brought suit against the US government in order for their family to remain intact and their daughter to receive the recognition of citizenship she was entitled to.

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Episodes 76-100Tyler EllisIntended Parent, International, Legal Issues
Episode 92: Infertility in Israel Births an American Non-Profit - Elana Frank
Episode 92: Infertility in Israel Births an American Non-Profit - Elana Frank

Elana (Bekerman) Frank, a native of Atlanta, GA, lived, studied, and worked in Maryland, Manhattan, Israel, and New Jersey. She has 20 years of experience working with non-profits (in America and in Israel) in fundraising, marketing, community outreach, volunteer recruitment, Board development and program development.

Elana Frank "birthed" The Jewish Fertility Foundation. It took her ten years and countless rounds of IUI and IVF cycles and embryo donation to make three babies. Because she was a resident of Israel at that time of her first two children, their socialized medicine afforded her the opportunity to inexpensively reach a solution. When she returned to the US, she realized that others weren’t as lucky as her - in terms of treatment success, community support, and financial aid. She learned for others it takes years, miscarriages, unbearable debt, oceans of tears, and heartache before finally giving birth, if at all. And with the cost of IVF ranging on average from $14,000 - $25,000 in America, many don’t even have a chance for a chance. Knowing that there was this grave need for funding, support, and enhanced awareness of this sometimes “unspoken” issue in the Jewish community, she decided to create Jewish Fertility Foundation.

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Episodes 76-100Tyler EllisInfertility, International
Episode 83: Stuck Abroad - Carolin Topelson
Episode 83: Stuck Abroad - Carolin Topelson

Carolin is originally from Mexico City. Her family moved to Denver when she was five, where she has lived most of her life. Carolin practices in the areas of real estate related litigation and business litigation. Specifically, Carolin’s practice has primarily focused on landlord-tenant law (both commercial and residential evictions and review of leases), mechanic liens, general real estate matters, homeowner association issues, partition of real estate, business disputes, and contracts. In her spare time, Carolin likes to ski, be with family, cook, travel and volunteer for different causes.

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Episodes 76-100Tyler EllisIntended Parent, International, Legal Issues
Episode 67: Showing ALL the Intimate and Gory Details of Surrogacy to the World - Crystal Rosburg
Episode 67: Showing ALL the Intimate and Gory Details of Surrogacy to the World - Crystal Rosburg

Crystal Rosburg is a two-time surrogate. She carried for a lovely same sex couple from France and was featured in a documentary of the journey. Crystal is also Intake Coordinator of our very own Southwest Surrogacy! She uses her professional experience from working at The Fertility Center of Law Vegas as an IVF Department Supervisor and her personal surrogacy experience to support intended parents and gestational carriers in growing families.  

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Episodes 51-75Tyler EllisGestational Carrier Experience, International
Episode 55: The Danish, The US, And The Intricacies of International Surrogacy - Kaspar Arianto
Episode 55: The Danish, The US, And The Intricacies of International Surrogacy - Kaspar Arianto

For Kaspar and his husband starting a family meant the world. Literally. They travelled from Denmark to the US to fulfill their dreams of having twins. Coming from a country were surrogacy is considered a legal grey zone, planning their journey went beyond budgeting for immense economic and emotional costs. They also had to factor in potential legal backlash, insurance problems and one looong flight home.

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Episodes 51-75Ashley OldIntended Parent, International, Legal Issues, Surrogacy Expert
Episode 39: The Ocean (And Other Obstacles) Between Intended Parents And Their Babies — Dawn Baker
Episode 39: The Ocean (And Other Obstacles) Between Intended Parents And Their Babies — Dawn Baker

Dawn Baker is the founder and Director of US Surrogacy LLC. She enjoys her family of three amazing young adult children and traveling with her husband. Dawn brings significant work experience from the legal field, having worked as a legal assistant for 20 years. Prior to her legal career, she served as a Personnel Specialist in the US Army and as Assistant to the Personnel Director on Yokota Air Base, Japan. 

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Episodes 26-50Lindsay JeffersonInternational, Surrogacy Expert