After the launch of their Baby Daddies Facebook page in 2016, Auckland-based Christian Newman, and husband Mark Edwards, started to become a social media sensation. At first inundated with responses, after a three-month vetting process, all the potential surrogates had dropped out.  The couple eventually found a suitable surrogate, 32-year-old paramedic Aleisha Hart from Nelson, in June 2016.  Then in August, Newman’s 26 year old sister-in-law in New York stepped in to provide eggs. Francis Newman-Edwards was born after a four year journey. They have been the subject of a TV special and various magazine features. Christian will talk about the altruistic matching platform – Love Makes A Family

After celebrating more than 20 years as one of Canada’s top criminal defence lawyers, Cindy Wasser thought she was retiring in 2008 to become a mother to the first of her two daughters created with the help of an egg donor and surrogate. Driven by her difficult path to parenthood, she instead founded Hope Springs Fertility Law, to guide, protect and advocate for everyone building families with the help of donors and surrogates. She has since grown Hope Springs into a leading fertility law firm, providing legal advice and services to hundreds of intended parents, donors and surrogates from across Canada and around the world, year after year. With her background in criminal law, and personal experience with surrogacy and egg donation, Cindy occupies a uniquely revered position within the fertility law community. She regularly uses this influence to advocate for stronger rights and protections for intended parents, donors and surrogates within Canada, and has become well-known internationally as a respected leader in this complex and evolving area of law.

Dean E. Masserman is a highly experienced and respected trial and family law attorney. He has handled in excess of 40 jury trials, 100 court trials and an estimated 5000 court hearings over the course of his 28 year career in both federal and state court.

Mr. Masserman serves as chairperson of the firm’s family law and complex litigation practices, and also acts as a mediator in dissolution matters. Mr. Masserman also counsels physicians and IVF clinics regarding their guidelines and protocols to avoid litigation.

Mr. Vorzimer and Mr. Masserman were also part of a small group of attorneys who assisted Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes in drafting AB1217 which codified the current best legal practices regarding surrogacy agreements in California, and was added to the California Family Code as Section 7962.

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 & Gynaecology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 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.

Dr. Vuk Jovanovic is an internationally respected fertility specialist.  He focuses on providing exceptional care to the LGBTQ community in Southern California.  He completed his postgraduate medical training at Duke University and Columbia University in New York City.  Double board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and OB/Gyn, in the United States and Europe.

Dr. Vuk Jovanovic ranks among the top fertility doctors in Los Angeles. Beyond providing services in Southern California, many patients travel from all over the world to seek his expertise as a reproductive care provider.  He is constantly working to find new ways to maximize patient success rates and use the latest technology and optimized treatment protocols

Dr. Vuk Jovanovic is a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and actively attends meetings on both continents.  Apart from his expertise and excellent success rates, he will provide compassionate and personal care to every single client. He has helped numerous couples in the United States and across the world achieve the dream of parenthood and is happy to serve his patients in Southern California and beyond.

Heather has an extensive background in customer service with a passion for developing partnerships and solutions. Supporting  intended parents and co-ordinating sperm, egg and embryo shipping globally are Heather’s areas of expertise with our network of couriers.

HHelen has 18 years’ experience working in the fertility sector as a social worker and counsellor. At Repromed, an independent fertility provider in Auckland, Helen provides leadership and direction on all counselling matters, policy and procedures, and education that meets the needs of Repromed and its clients. Helen has expertise and particular interest in the legal framework for ART service provision in New Zealand, cross-border reproductive care, and in stress management and lifestyle factors for pre-conception and pregnancy health. Helen believes in maintaining a work-life balance in her own life, and supports her clients to achieve this in their lives.

Samantha Esteves is an experienced nurse in the Ovum Donor & Surrogacy Program at CReATe Fertility Centre. Her clinical role involves overseeing the care of ovum donors, surrogates, and Intended Parents from the start of their journey all the way to their graduation from the program. Samantha works very closely with the CReATe physician team to execute egg donor IVF cycles, and surrogate embryo transfers. Samantha is a member of the American Reproductive Society for Medicine, Canadian Fertility & Andrology Society, and The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Samantha also sits on the Patient Care Committee at CReATe, and continuously seeks to improve the patient experience. She is incredibly passionate about patient safety, advocacy, and comprehensive patient care. Samantha has a keen interest in prenatal education and prenatal care, and is currently in the process of obtaining her Perinatal Nursing certification.

Steven is the Territory Manager for Tammuz Family Australia & New Zealand and also an  parent via surrogacy journey in Colombia with his partner. He has a wide range of career experience in business, international airlines and hospitably before finding his passion for all things family and surrogacy. He is very excited to share his own unique story from the view of an intended parent while also being able to educate other parents on the many affordable destinations and guaranteed plans that Tammuz can offer.

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. His expertise in the field of surrogacy saw him appointed as an expert advisor to the Law Commission when it reviewed New Zealand’s surrogacy laws. 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. Stewart also 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 for the first time in New Zealand history 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.

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.

Emma is a two times gestational surrogate for gay friends in Auckland, with the IVF procedure being done both times in San Diego. She carried their first child (a boy) for them in 2018, born in October when Emma was 30 and their second child (a girl) was born in December 2019. Emma lives in Whanganui with her 3 children.

Glenda and Calvin embarked on an extraordinary surrogacy journey that spanned five years after Glenda’s triumphant battle against stage 3 Ovarian cancer at the age of 21 in 2012. In 2017, they began their path with Fertility Plus, navigating through the intricate Ecart process in their pursuit of starting a family. During this challenging period, they formed an enduring friendship with an egg donor who not only provided her eggs but also wholeheartedly offered to carry their baby, resulting in a Traditional surrogacy arrangement. This remarkable story of love and perseverance also encompassed the adoption of their daughter, ensuring that Bailee-Rose grows up knowing the depths of her cherished and unique life journey.

Hao is single, but this didnt put him off his dream of having family. He started his surrogacy journey in April 2020 after attending a Growing Families event and worked with an Idaho-based surrogacy agency and IVF clinic. His son was born in January 2022 and is now just over one year old. Hao was supported by New Zealand lawyer Stewart Dalley. He will discuss what he learned along the way, the hurdles, doubts and how to survive the process 

Laura is a single Mum of two living in Taupo. She met her recipient intended dads only two years ago. They are from Auckland and wanted to use donor embryos – the first time this was allowed in New Zealand for surrogacy. Aged 39, Laura commenced what has been the most amazing, crazy and sometimes frustrating two years of her life . The first embryo transfer failed, but the second one stuck and after a great pregnancy in late December 2022, Laura went into labour – it required an emergency c-section but she gave birth to a baby boy – Beau . Laura maintains a close relationship with Beau and his Dad’s. Her own children also adore them.

A devoted Instagrammer, at one point Laura had 3000 people following her journey. She is keen to advise and help other surrogates and IPs. Check out her Instagram page – theirbabymybody 

Leighton & his husband wanted to start a family for many years and after conversations with friends who had offered help in some capacity but didn’t eventuate, they met their amazing surrogate through Facebook. After a period of getting to know each other they decided traditional surrogacy was the best fit for us and in 2021 they welcomed their son. Leighton will discuss the ‘traditional surrogacy’ route to parenthood, which can avoid IVF clinic involvement