Heart of Surrogacy, LLC

What are the short- and long-term affects to kids’ growth from fertility treatments? Click here to find out! 

One in six couples in the US will struggle with infertility.

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) issued an updated Bulletin on January 27, 2021 reaffirming its position supporting the COVID vaccine, which can be found here. The text of the Bulletin follows: 

American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Position on COVID Vaccine Use in Pregnant Women

 Jan 27, 2021
By: ASRM
Origin: ASRM Bulletin

We affirm our continued support of the recommendations of the ASRM COVID Task Force as reported in Update Number 12, dated January 18, 2021:

“COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for women who are contemplating pregnancy or who are pregnant in order to minimize risks to themselves and their pregnancy.”

This most recent update further advances the position expressed in the previous update, Number 11, dated December 16, 2020, which stated that,

“The Task Force does not recommend withholding the vaccine from patients who are planning to conceive, who are currently pregnant, or who are lactating.”

This position is consistent with the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

In that same report, published last December, we emphasized that a shared decision-making model should be used by patients and physicians as they evaluate whether a specific patient should seek to be vaccinated.

Given the challenges in enrolling pregnant women in prospective clinical vaccine trials, definitive data are not currently available. However, after again carefully considering the existing data relating to the dangers of COVID-19 during pregnancy, the risks of the mRNA vaccines from Moderna or Pfizer, and our understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms involved, we stand by our recommendation that pregnant women and those seeking to become pregnant should be vaccinated. 

https://www.asrm.org/pregnancy-covid-vaccine

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can improve reproductive technology by increasing treatment options and pregnancy outcomes, according to an article in Healthcare Tech Outlook. Researchers have trained an AI algorithm to objectively identify high and low-quality embryos. According to the article, the information the algorithm can supply regarding the embryo quality is an important variable that may enhance a couple’s ability to conceive. Learn more about this new frontier in assisted reproductive technology at this link. 

Congratulations to adoption attorney Jeanne T. Tate who has been named as the Lawyer of the Year in Family Law by Best Lawyers in Florida, Tampa Edition 2019. This recognition is based on nomination and peer review by other lawyers based on Jeanne’s professional abilities and quality of legal services. Recognition by Best Lawyers is regarded by clients and legal professionals as a significant honor conferred on a lawyer by her peers. Jeanne is a board-certified specialist in Adoption law by the Florida Bar and is Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent peer review rated. She has offices throughout Florida. For more information, click HERE.

 The FBI is looking for victims who may have been defrauded by The Surrogacy Group (TSG) LLC, based in Annapolis, Maryland, and Tampa, Florida. 

1. No one can reliably guarantee that the undisclosed identities of parties in donor arrangements or adoptions will remain forever anonymous or undisclosed. While a matching program, a medical facility and related professionals can use best efforts to keep identities shielded, they have no control over the future behavior of a donor, intended parents, any resultant child or any relatives.

2. The pervasiveness of direct-to-consumer DNA testing kits and the ever expanding databases they maintain greatly increase the likelihood that a Donor Conceived Person (DCP) will find the donor, or that the donor will find the DCP. The same is true with adoptees.

3. Disclosure could be entirely inadvertent due to the actions of a relative utilizing a direct to consumer DNA kit.

4. Early disclosure to children then becomes a more compelling issue.

5. Consider choosing a donor who is open to contact by the DCP at the age of majority.

6. Ask any matching programs whether they are storing their data in any database or providing services to assist with any future contact.

7. Donor registry and other potential resources: a. Donor Sibling Registry https://www.donorsiblingregistry.com/ b. California Cryobank Sibling Registry https://www.cryobank.com/services/sibling-registry/ c. Information and support https://www.wearedonorconceived.com/resources-new/ d. Information and support: https://creatingafamily.org e. “Let’s Talk About Egg Donation”, by Marna Gatlin and Carole LieberWilkins (Book available Summer 2019) Twitter: @eggdonationbook and website www.letstalkabouteggdonation.com

8. Consider referencing the DSR in any agreement-not a requirement to join, but acknowledgement of its existence, suggest that intended parent clients offer to pay for donor’s registration.

9. Acknowledge the high possibility of inadvertent disclosure in any agreement in which the parties are not exchanging identities.

10. Resources for children: a. https://creatingafamily.org/infertility/suggested-books-for-adults-andkids/books-children-conceived-egg-donation/ b. https://creatingafamily.org/infertility/suggested-books-for-adults-andkids/books-children-conceived-sperm-donation/

11. Many states have adoption registries where information about adoptions, including identifying information, is housed. Depending on the state, it may be opt-in or opt-out format, but either way, the option may be available for future contact if the relevant parties agree. The following is a link to an article discussing each state’s law regarding access to adoption records: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/infoaccessap.pdf

12. In some states, adoptees retain the right to inherit from and through their biological parents. In these instances, future disclosure through DNA testing could have far reaching financial implications.

Today Mayor Jane Castor presented a key to the city to Jeanne Tate for her incredible life’s work helping find homes for abused, neglected, & abandoned children over the past 30 years. This #NationalAdoptionMonth, help us celebrate all families who open their hearts to adoption.

The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Jeanne Tate as the first Lightning Community Hero this season during the first period of tonight’s game versus the Florida Panthers. Jeanne, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, will donate the money to Gift of Adoption.

Jeanne has worked for the past 30 years helping find homes for abused, neglected, and abandoned children. She does this through her pro bono work with the State of Florida foster care population and Bay Area Legal Services where she has donated over 1,000 hours as a volunteer, pro bono attorney and mentor. 

Judges, social workers and adoption professionals regularly reach out to Jeanne for assistance in finding homes for special needs children. Her visionary work and innovative approaches both nationally and internationally have led to changes in our laws and over 3,000 children have landed in their forever homes due to Jeanne’s efforts. She also works as a volunteer for Gift of Adoption Fund and created the St. Frances Fund to assist adoptive parents of special needs children.

To a person, at both her firm and the agency, we all feel very fortunate to work alongside Jeanne and are so blessed to be associated with her.  We couldn’t be more proud of this Community Hero!  

https://www.nhl.com/lightning/news/jeanne-tate-honored-as-lightning-community-hero/c-300708632