Surrogacy & Donor Seminar- Auckland

Alice is a 30 year old twin born via gestational surrogacy in the UK. She came to Auckland in 2009 after high school on a gap year and ended up studying at university and staying. New Zealand was so good, her family migrated also. Alice is a personal trainer and is happily settled in life with her partner and his children. She will talk about growing up and disclosure  -how her parents told her about how she came into the world and what effect it has on her own sense of self.

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.

Olivia is of Ngapuhi, Ngati Kahungunu descent and is the only Maori female fertility Subspecialist in New Zealand. Olivia is one of the few in NZ to have completed CREI Subspecialist training, and Australiasian group of fertility Subspecialists who are leaders in fertility and develop guidelines for the care of fertility patients. Olivia specialises in fertility preservation, fertility and gynaecological ultrasound and surgery and male infertility. Olivia is also very passionate about the provision of healthcare to those with reduced access, both at home, doing clinics in Northland, as well as overseas in developing countries and has volunteered in Ethiopia and Vietnam. As well as her fertility and gynaecology private practice at FA, Olivia practices Private obstetrics through Birthright. Her spare time is spent with her tamariki, her whanau and huskies.

Tamar Barbakadze M.D. is a leading obstetrician gynecologist, reproductive endocrinologist, endocrinologist at ReproART Georgian-American Center for Reproductive Medicine. She brings all necessary skills required for a modern doctor backed up with 18-year long practical experience. She is ESHRE (European Society on Human Reproduction and Embryology) – licensed doctor in reproductive endoscopy, licensed obstetrician- gynecologist, reproductive endocrinologist. She is an author and co-author of academic papers and is an active member of research projects. She is also among authors of 100 best academic papers for which she was nominated by an international association of gynecology and endocrinology; In parallel, she is engaged in international scientific studies carried out in cooperation with American and European clinics and seeking to develop assisted reproductive technology throughout the world. Tamar is a member of American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Representative of ESHRE in Georgia and etc. Free consultations are available with advance booking at: [email protected]

Jennifer is an experienced  family law expert with an extensive international family law practice. Over the course of her career she has successfully litigated cases on issues in international surrogacy and inter country adoption. Jennifer began her career as the Judges’ Clerk to the Principal Family Court Judge, before advising the New Zealand Government in anticipation of its United Nations examination on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. For more than a decade now she has been a practising family lawyer, and has successfully led cases in surrogacy and adoptions.    Her skill and experience is recognised by the Court such that she is regularly appointed as Lawyer for Child. She has particular expertise in assisting with New Zealanders engaged in surrogacy in Georgia

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.

Admitted in 1983 Margaret has been a barrister sole since 1993. She has an undergraduate degree from Auckland University and a Masters from Kings College London. Margaret was the Inaugural Chair of the NZ Family Law Section and member of the Section Executive for a number of years. She has 2 significant areas of international speciality. The Hague Convention on Child Abduction and international surrogacy.  Margaret has acted for clients who have undertaken surrogacy in the United States, India , Thailand , Australia and the UK .
Her cases are the most widely reported in NZ on this issue and she is acknowledged by her peers and the judiciary as an authority on this developing and complex subject. Margaret is a trained and experienced mediator and collaborative lawyer and member of the Collaborative Law Association.

Megan founded Surro Connections after seeing first-hand the need for this unique company both Domestic and Internationally. Megan is directly involved with every Intended Parent and Surrogate Mother who becomes a part of Surro Connections. Megan is the mother of 3 beautiful children, 1 born through IVF and has been a Gestational Surrogate for three other families as well. Her experience in deeply rooted careers after graduating with her MBA in both Business Administration and Accounting were not nearly as fulfilling as the work she does today with each individual involved in Surro Connections.  She has also met all qualifications to be a Mediator within the State of Oregon.

Rebecca is a registered social worker at Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children. She has worked in the adoption field for almost 10 years, specialising in local and international surrogacy cases, as well as local and intercountry adoption. With experience of local surrogacy and intercountry adoption in her whānau, Rebecca understands the lifelong implications of adoption-related identity issues and the importance of whakapapa, whanaungatanga, and support. She has recently been involved in writing the training programme for local and intercountry adoptive applicants in Aotearoa, with a strong focus on the identity of tamariki. Rebecca will be talking about how to promote the long-term needs of tamariki born through surrogacy and providing an overview of the Ministry’s role in adoption applications for tamariki born through a surrogacy arrangement.

Sam Everingham is the Global Director of Growing Families.  He has become one of the globe’s foremost commentators and researchers on donor & surrogacy trends and capacity. 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.

Sam has two daughters, Zoe & Ruby, via surrogacy and therefore is very aware of the issues, struggles and frustrations along the surrogacy path.  With a background in public health and research he is also the author of several books.

Stacie is a mum of 4 children aged 12, 10, 7 and one in heaven. Having once felt the pain of seeing others with their babies while her arms were left empty from the lost of a first born, and also seeing a friend struggle through IVF to extend her family, Stacie knew that if she could she wanted to be able to help others achieve their dreams of having a family. Stacie has been a gestational surrogate and birthed a beautiful baby girl in 2018, and then went on to complete two traditional surrogacies for two separate families, with beautiful little boys born in 2019 and 2021. There are plans in the pipeline for one last journey.

Cameron and his husband  started their surrogacy journey in November 2018, and their daughter Holly was born in November 2020 in Boston, USA. Their fertility clinic was ORM in Portland, Oregon. Their surrogate undertook two successful embryo transfers, but sadly she suffered a miscarriage at 7 weeks. Their second transfer was in March 2020 when Covid was escalating, and they flew to the US from NZ in October 2020 in the peak of the pandemic, so there was much to navigate  – all worth it in the end and they now have a beautiful 1 year old daughter Holly. They are about to do it all over again for a sibling journey.

Mark and Craig have two children (Flynn and Oscar ) 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.

Tyler and Sam Johnson are a local gay couple working with Fertility Associates  for their IVF. They have found a local surrogate and have commenced the  counselling process. They talk about surrogate matching and their experience to date