Surrogacy & Donor Seminar- Auckland

Cindy Wasser practiced as a Canadian Criminal Defence lawyer from 1987 until 2008. In that year, she  became a mum to the first of two daughters through an egg donor and gestational surrogacy. This journey led her to her legal specialisation in Fertility Law. Cindy provides legal advice and services to intended parents, Canadian carriers and donors. Cindy has also provided legal advice to fertility medical practitioners and fertility consultant agencies. She has lectured in the area of fertility law at medico-legal conferences and hospitals.

Dr. Michael Kettel graduated with honors from the University of Arizona. He joined the San Diego Fertility Center in 1996 after serving as the Director of Infertility Services and as a member of the academic faculty at the University of California, San Diego for more than 6 years. Following his residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Utah, he completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of California, San Diego.Dr. Kettel is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Obstetrics & Gynecology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Kettel is also certified as a High Complexity Laboratory Director with additional expertise in Human Embryology and Andrology. This unique certification places him among very few fertility doctors who have sought out this additional training and expertise. He is a member of the Society of Reproductive Surgeons, the Society of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.

Helen provides a counselling support, education and information service to Repromed clients. She thoroughly enjoys the changing face of work in the fertility area, which includes keeping pace with the legal framework for ART service provision in NZ, cross border reproductive care, and the ethical, psychological and sociological implications of these as well as the technology and ethical issues which determine treatment.  Helen has a particular interest in the management of stress and in lifestyle factors for pre-conception and pregnancy health. After graduating from Massey University in 1998 Helen has worked in Reproductive Health. For the last 16 years, her work has been in the provision of social work and counselling services for people who are using fertility services to create and build their families.

Kathryn is the co-owner and founder of Agency for Surrogacy Solutions. A parent through surrogacy herself, Kathyrn understands just how much goes into the journey. heart-wrenching, & expensive Kathyrn wished she had met others who could have advised her. What was missing  was an agency that would look out equally for the best interests of the Intended Parents and the Gestational Surrogates. Agency for Surrogacy Solutions, Inc. was her response. Surrogacy and pregnancy are emotionally turbulent, and Kathryn hopes to make the experience as simple and as free of anxiety as possible for everyone involved.

Complimentary One on One Consultations are available. 

Lacey is  a Mum of three and currently 19 weeks pregnant as a first time gestational surrogate for close of friends of hers (2 intended dads). They had a friend donate her eggs and it took three IVF attempts to reach this stage. One cycle didn’t work and another did but Lacey miscarried at six weeks, something Lacey wasn’t prepared for, given the unexpected grief  she experienced. Lacey is due to birth in late November.

Leia is a mother to five, a two-time gestational surrogate, and a six-time egg donor. She began Canadian Fertility Consulting and Egg Helpers in 2007 after her second surrogacy, with the intention of creating a more rewarding experience for surrogates, egg donors and intended parents. With a background in business development and management, Leia turned her professional passion for alternative family building into a full-time business. Leia believes that surrogacy and egg donation is more than a medical transaction – bringing someone’s child into the world through surrogacy and egg donation is a milestone that deserves to be honoured and celebrated.

Complimentary One on One Consultations are available. To book please email : [email protected]

Mark and Craig have two children (Flynn, 2.5 years old and Oscar, 4 months) via gestational surrogacy and egg donation in the United States. They were fortunate enough to have the same surrogate carry both their children, and both boys have the same egg donor. Mark and Craig will be able to answer any questions in regards to navigating this process internationally in the midst of a global pandemic.

Mereika is married  and mother to three children of her own (aged 3,5,7). She offered to carry as a surrogate in 2019 for her brother in law & his wife., after they experienced two devastating losses. Mereika feels honoured to have been able to give her niece a sibling.

Te Aka Matua o te Ture | Law Commission is Aotearoa New Zealand’s independent law reform body. They are reviewing surrogacy law, regulation and practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. Nichola will lead a session  exploring some of the key options for reform the Commission is seeking feedback on as part of its public consultation process. For more information about the Commission’s review and to register for updates visit surrogacyreview.nz. The Commission will be reporting its recommendations for reform to the Government in 2022.

Becs and Alex have been together for 11 years, and started trying for a family around 7 years ago. After losing 11 babies through both natural conceptions and IVF they started their surrogacy journey in 2019 and became parents in October 2021. Cooper was born via their gestational surrogate in Whanganui after the second embryo transfer which took place in Hawaii, USA.

Sam is the dad to two girls Zoe & Ruby via surrogacy and as the global Director of charity Growing Families has become one of the globe’s foremost commentators and researchers on surrogacy trends, capacity and bst practice. Through conferences, seminars and consulting he has assisted over a thousand singles and couples to plan safe and reliable routes to building families through surrogacy & donor IVF. With a background in public health and research he is also the author of three books.

Samantha is a mum to 4 children aged 19, 14, 12 & 9 and has been married for 21 years. After seeing her Intended Fathers story on Facebook and consequently spending time with them she became their gestational surrogate, carrying their son in 2019. Navigating COVID and lockdowns put pressure on their journey but resulted in not only a wonderful child but an incredible relationship between their two families. The team are looking to attempt a sibling journey at the end of 2021.

Stewart is a Barrister and Solicitor at D&S Law, Auckland specialising in the law relating to assisted reproductive technology, domestic and international surrogacy, and adoption, as well as immigration and refugees. In addition, Stewart is a Board member of Fertility New Zealand.

Stewart together with his same-sex partner are the parents to children born as a result of domestic altruistic surrogacy. Stewart is a keen advocate for LGBTIQ rights and for access generally to assisted reproductive technology. In that regard, Stewart obtained a ground-breaking judgment in the New Zealand courts when he successfully argued the case for same-sex de facto couples to be able to be granted joint adoption orders. Earlier this year, Stewart represented a female same-sex couple in mediation with the Department of Internal Affairs, where he was successful in having the Department agree to change its procedures, and allow two women to be named on a child’s birth certificate as “mother” and “mother”, when the child was born as a result of assisted reproductive technology.

Tamati Coffey and his partner Tim Smith had their baby Tūtānekai by gestational surrogate in July 2019. It was a long process that started many years earlier, but they were dissuaded by the cumbersome process. In Nov 2019, they completed the process by adopting their Son in line with the current legal framework. As a Member of Parliament, Tamati Coffey has lodged a members Bill to streamline the surrogacy process for couples in the future.

Toni offered to carry for her recipients in early 2016. However there were significant hurdles. None of her recipients embryos passed genetic testing. An egg donor would be required. In August 2017, after countless tests and a dummy cycle, Toni flew to San Diego Fertility Clinic to undertake a double embryo transfer. By late September Toni discovered both embryos had taken – she was carrying twins! It was a very tough pregnancy for Toni, culminating in a C-section at Week 37 in New Zealand. Ton will talk about her motivations for carrying as a surrogate, the highs and the lows

Sam is the dad to two girls Zoe & Ruby via surrogacy and as the global Director of charity Growing Families has become one of the globe’s foremost commentators and researchers on surrogacy trends, capacity and bst practice. Through conferences, seminars and consulting he has assisted over a thousand singles and couples to plan safe and reliable routes to building families through surrogacy & donor IVF. With a background in public health and research he is also the author of three books.