For New Zealanders dreaming of starting or expanding a family, navigating the complex world of surrogacy and egg donation can be daunting. Growing Families is here to bring you clarity and support, with global insights and expert guidance to help you take your next steps confidently. Our Auckland event offers a chance to connect with experienced professionals, hear real-life stories, and discover the possibilities available to Kiwi families looking to grow through surrogacy and egg donation.
What to Expect at our Auckland Event?
In a relaxed and informative environment, this event is designed to answer your questions and ease your journey forward. Whether you’re just beginning to explore surrogacy and egg donation or looking for specific guidance, you’ll find value in the sessions, the conversations, and the connections. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll experience:
What You’ll Experience:
Guidance from Top Experts
Leading voices in surrogacy, fertility, and law will share crucial surrogacy insights to help guide your journey.
Practical
Advice
Learn how to choose the right agencies, clinics, and legal support, with clear insights into costs and timelines.
Inspiring
Stories
Hear first-hand accounts from other New Zealand families who have navigated this path successfully.
Supportive Community
Meet others on a similar journey and form meaningful connections and lasting friendships.
Live Expert Panels
Engage in dynamic panel discussions with industry professionals, including fertility specialists, surrogacy experts, and legal advisors. These live panels are interactive, allowing you to ask questions and hear practical advice on navigating surrogacy, egg donation, and legal processes.
Free Consultation with Select Expert Speakers
Attendees have the unique opportunity to book a free, one-on-one consultation with select expert speakers, offering tailored advice and personal guidance to support your family-building journey. This is your chance to ask specific questions and gain insights that align directly with your needs.
SPEAKERS AT OUR MELBOURNE
SURROGACY & EGG DONOR EVENT
Rita Alesi
Infertility Psychologist, Australia
With 30 years of psychology experience and 25 years in IVF, Rita leads Monash IVF Counselling Services. She specializes in reproductive health, grief, and loss, and provides expert counselling for surrogacy and complex donor cases.
Tamara Cook
Special Counsel
Tamara is a specialist family lawyer with expertise in surrogacy and fertility law. She advises intended parents, surrogates, and donors. Recognised in Doyle’s Guide and The Best Lawyers in Australia, she handles legal agreements and court applications related to parentage.
Mario Lara
Egg Donor Manager
Mario heads Miracle Surrogacy’s Egg Donor Department, overseeing the recruitment and screening of 200+ international egg donors, the largest selection in Mexico. He also manages the agency’s Frozen Egg Bank, featuring eggs from donors across Europe, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, and more.
Meet Our Expert Speakers
Parents & Families Speaking at our Auckland Event
Auckland Surrogacy & Egg Donor Event Agenda
09:30 AM –
09:50 AM
Overview Of Pathways to Parenthood
Outlines the differences between domestic and international donor and surrogacy, hybrid options and foster and adoption pathways, Donor & surrogate availability, Friends and family as donors or surrogates, meeting online vs via agencies; Information sources – online forums, word-of-mouth
Sam Everingham, Growing Families
09:50 AM –
10:10 AM
The Role of Oranga Tamariki & ECART
What role do these government bodies play in the surrogacy process? When and how to engage with them? What does the social worker process look like?
Jeanne Snelling (ECART); Rebecca Kendrick (OT)
10:10 AM –
10:50 AM
Domestic Parent Panel
Kiwis who engaged in DIY traditional or gestational surrogacy here in NZ share their journeys, the ups and downs, what to expect and recommendations for those that follow
Moderator: Sam Everingham: Mark Woodgate, Dean Wakelin, Stacey Dodd, Lisa Lord
10:50 AM –
11:10 AM
Traditional Surrogacy – How It works
A practical guide for those interested in traditional surrogacy arrangements, where a local surrogate is also the egg donor, including discussion about surrogacy/conception outside of a clinic setting.
Dean Wakelin (dad via traditional), Fiona Dalziell (surrogate)
IVF & Egg Donor Processes for Surrogacy
One of the globe’s leading IVF physicians specialising in surrogacy-related IVF provides clear insights into donor and surrogate screening, the IVF cycle process, embryo creation and selecting the best embryos for transfer.
Dr Clifford Librach, Create Fertility, Canada
11:10 AM –
11:40 AM
Morning Tea
11:40 AM –
12:00 PM
International Surrogacy – Selecting Where to Engage
What countries are available? How do the laws differ? Which countries are closed or inadvisable & why? What about donor anonymity? Which are available for unmarried couples or gay couples? What are the differences in timelines? How do surrogate match times differ? How do costs compare? Are there fixed cost programs available? What about Insurance? Discusses US, Canada, Georgia, Colombia & Mexico
Sam Everingham
12:00 PM –
12:20 PM
Legal Issues for Surrogacy
What is the purpose of agreements, are they legally binding? What should be included in these. Timelines, costs, processes what issues do intended parents need to think about? How does the process differ for domestic vs international surrogacy. What will New Zealand’s new surrogacy rules look like? When will they come in?
Stewart Dalley (Dalley Sundar)
12:20 PM –
01:00 PM
International Parent Panel
Kiwis who recently engaged in surrogacy in Mexico, Colombia or USA share their journeys, egg donor options, embryo creation logistics, the ups and downs, what to expect and recommendations for those that follow
Moderator: Stewart Dalley
Panelists: Cam Owens (US) Waruna (Colombia); Rubyn Wipiti (Mexico); Agus Kozaly (Mexico)
01:00 PM –
01:20 PM
Hybrid Surrogacy Programs
Increasingly, for reasons of cost, convenience or availability, intended parents make embryos in one country (eg Canada or New Zealand) while their surrogate might live elsewhere (eg the US or Mexico). Experts in hybrid programs explain the process, the pros and cons.
Lauri De Brito, Kathryn Kaycoff, (The Fertility Agency, US) Nir Keren, (Babies Come True)
01:20 PM –
02:00 PM
Lunch & Networking
02:00 PM –
02:40 PM
Domestic Surrogate Panel
Local surrogates discuss what they look for in intended parents, the ‘surro-dating’ process, dos and donts in engaging with surrogates online, the impact on their own families, expense re-imbursements, expected support during the process and ongoing relationship expectations
Moderator: Sam Everingham: Panelists: Fiona Dalziell, Amy King, Sam Watkins
02:40 PM –
03:10 PM
Interactive Q&A Breakout Sessions
Surrogacy in the USA & Canada
Learn how the US approaches surrogacy. Why do some IPs take their NZ surrogate to the US? How does surrogate screening work? Why are IVF success rates so high? More on hybrid programs.
Lauri De Brito, Kathryn Kaycoff, Nir Keren
Surrogacy in Mexico, Colombia or Georgia
An informal chance to ask local parents more questions about their lived experience of the process, costs, stressors
Waruna (Colombia); Agus & Nan (Mexico)
Surrogacy in New Zealand
A chance to ask local parents and surrogates 1-on-1 the more detailed questions about their journeys whether traditional or gestational.
Moderator: Stewart Dalley. Panelists: Fiona, Amy, Sam, Mark, Dean, Stacey, Abigail
03:10 PM –
03:40 PM
Support for Intended Parents
What support does Fertility NZ offer for those engaging in domestic donor IVF or surrogacy; What support does Growing Families offer for international journeys? Where to from here? Moderated online support groups, face-to-face and virtual peer support
Lydia Hemingway (FNZ), Sam Everingham, Growing Families
03:40 PM –
04:00 PM
The Impact on Families
Children of surrogates and kids born via surrogacy discuss the impact on their lives of surrogacy, relationships with half-siblings and surro-siblings
Alice Nelson, Maxwell Ea, Maddy Beecroft
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