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12TH ANNIVERSARY NEWS BULLETIN • WINTER 2008
a note from john
John Weltman,
CS's President
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Dear friends,
Circle's 12th anniversary, which in fact happened a few months ago, is
definitely a cause for celebration for us. 2007 was an amazing year, with
growing number of births, and even more so with new clients and transfers, so we
expect 2008 to be better still (see our "Surrogate
Update" page). We are especially continuing to experience a growing interest
from international prospective parents in our program, fueled by much media
interest (see below and also our news section).
To meet the
growing demand we have been adding staff (the picture at the bottom of the newsletter is missing
8 people, 5 of them hired since December), and increased our surrogate
recruiting efforts. We also introduced new insurance and financial options to
make the process shorter and more affordable. We are also continuing to hold
informational seminars and consultations around the country and in international
destinations (NY, CA, FL,UK, Israel, Sweden and possibly more).
We are also expanding our involvement with community organizations and charitable causes, and so far this year we sponsored an event of the American Fertility Association in San Francisco, and in coming months we are sponsoring events of Family Equality Council, and Valuing Our Families (by SunServe in Florida). We are also planning a reunion party in Boston for this spring (details soon), and
I hope many of you can come, and bring your children along! The party we had in
NY in 2005 was a great hit. If you cannot come in person, please send us a note
to tell us how you are doing, and don't forget to add pictures (or even video
links)!
Warmly,
John Weltman
Circle Surrogacy President
617-439-4990
john@circlesurrogacy.com
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Circle Surrogacy co-sponsors Family Equality's annual benefit
Family Equality Council and Circle Surrogacy invite you to a Night at the Tavern--an event to raise support for LGBTQ parents and their families. 2008 promises to be an important year in the fight for full family equality, and we need your help to ensure a world where all loving families are treated equally.
Thursday, 4-10-08
6:00 pm
Tavern on the Green
New York, NY
Tickets are $225 before April 4th, 2008, and $250 afterwards.
More information:
Development Associate Daniel Robinson, 617.502.8700 x 224
Even if you can't make it, please consider making a donation to Family Equality Council.
When ordering tickets or making a donation, please remember to select "Circle Surrogacy"
from the pulldown menu at the registration page.
Circle Surrogacy co-sponsors Florida's 5th Annual Valuing Our Families Conference
Circle Surrogacy is proud to return for the second year as a sponsor of Florida's major LGBT family event, the Valuing Our Families Day. Join us March 29 if you can for a day full of events for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth, families, partners and parents, allies and friends. This year Circle will also take part in a special track about Building
and Extending Families for Florida Gay Couples and Singles. This track will offer personal stories, expert advice and practical tools for gay couples and singles interested in surrogacy and other parenting options. Valuing Our Families is a program
of SunServe, South Florida’s GLBT social service agency and South Florida Family
Pride, a membership organization of gay and lesbian households. .
Saturday, March 29, 2008
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunshine Cathedral MCC
Campus
1480 SW 9th Avenue
Ft Lauderdale, Florida
[map]
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IN THE NEWS
• CBS features a Circle couple receiving breast milk from their surrogate
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 CBS news featured a Circle Surrogacy couple in an informative segment about breast milk options for gay men who have babies through surrogacy. Due to potential medical benefits, gay dads who have babies through
surrogacy often arrange
to receive pumped breast
milk from the surrogates who helped them become fathers..
 go to story & clip...
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• The birth diary of a NY single father through surrogacy
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 The birth story of Christina, the daughter of BJ, who was carried by Leah. Read about the c-section delivery, hospital experience, and the relationship between the father and the surrogate mother... "Leah is truly
one of the most amazing persons
I could ever
want to meet... She has given me the greatest gift I could ever ask for and for that I am eternally grateful."
go to story...
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• Connecting with international intended parents in Israel / a surrogate mother's visit diary
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 Minette, a Circle surrogate from Texas, was asked to speak at a seminar in Tel Aviv about Surrogacy for Gay Men in the USA. Her trip there ended up changing her views about working with
foreign couples in general, and about Israel
in specific. And
guess what: Minette is currently matched to work with an Israeli couple she met during the visit! Indeed, every year dozens of Circle surrogates are matched with couples and singles from over 20 countries worldwide, and they each have a fascinating story to tell...
go to story...
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• More USA and International media coverage
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 This past fall Circle Surrogacy again co-sponsored the third annual Men Having Babies seminar in NYC. Leading to the seminar, The New York Blade ran a story about "Helping
Men Have Babies".
The story featured among others, the personal stories of John Weltman, a NY Circle family and a Circle surrogate.
 A growing numbers of Canadians are going south to make their parenting dreams come true. John Weltman interviewed in April 2007 about how it is done, answering legal, financial and ethical questions.
 listen here...
 John Weltman, Circle Surrogacy president was asked by the BBC Radio to address the perceived "British invasion" - as many more gay men turn to the States, and to Circle Surrogacy in particular, in their quest for parenthood. The BBC's Moral Maze program takes up the ethical aspects
of surrogacy and the supposed
desire
for "designer babies", and John was asked to provide his perspective.
listen here...
 Maariv, one of Israel's two main national newspapers features Circle Surrogacy in a five page article about how "an American surrogacy agency presents the new family model" to the country's gay community. The article appeared
a few days ahead of
an informational seminar sponsored by Circle in Tel Aviv last June. The seminar drew more than 60 participants, many of
whom eager to join several Israeli gay couples who are already in the process of building a family with the help of Circle Surrogacy.
 go to story...
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FEATURES
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IVF Maximizes Parenthood Choices
Forth article: The Frozen Embryos Dilemma
 By Dr. Doyle, Connecticut Fertility Associates
Most IVF treatments which use an egg donor and a gestational carrier produce more embryos than are actually needed for the transfer. For intended parents the first question is - what should we do with the "extra" embryos? Most people choose to freeze the embryos, primarily because pregnancy is not guaranteed in the first attempt, and frozen embryos represent a contingency plan. However, some time after a successful pregnancy, when many parents feel
that their
family building project is complete, the tougher dilemma is: what can you do with frozen embryos which you don't plan to use?
go to article...
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 Surrogacy Update
Check out our recent deliveries and pregnancies, as well as current and upcoming cycles. We also include some birth announcements from couples who gave us permission to post their pictures. Please send us yours to include in future editions!
go to story...
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Meet the Staff:
 TARA MITCHELL, CASE MANAGER
I am a California native who moved to Boston in the summer of 2005. I attend Simmons College and will be graduating with a degree in American History in May 2009. I have held managerial positions with Starbucks and Aldo Shoes and am thrilled to bring my years of customer service experience to the Circle team. In my spare time I enjoy visiting art museums, football and reading.
I am thrilled to be working in a position that allows me to meet and interact with the wonderful group of Circle's intended parents.
 Anne Vroman, Case Manager /Coordinator
I am thrilled to have joined the Circle team once again, this time as a Case Manager/Coordinator. I have been a two time successful egg donor for Circle and always enjoyed the personal and warm touch they were able to give while going through a very intense and personal process. I studied sociology at the University of New Hampshire, followed by several years of guest relations and customer service careers that eventually led me down this path. I always felt
that helping
people through this process the way they helped me, would be an extremely rewarding job to have.
 KATHERINE BRADFORD, LCSW, SOCIAL WORKER
I received my undergraduate degree in Sociology and Psychology from Mount Holyoke College and my Masters in Social Work from Smith College School for Social Work, completing clinical internships at Valley Psychiatric Service in Springfield, MA and South Beach Psychiatric Center in Brooklyn, NY. I have been working with children and families for over ten years in a variety of settings including daycare, schools, homes, residential treatment centers, and outpatient clinics. I am passionate about my commitment
to helping others create and sustain families and look forward to bringing my experience and enthusiasm to our donors, surrogates, parents, and the Circle Surrogacy team.
see the rest of our staff...
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 Coming this spring
Circle Surrogacy's 12th
Anniversary Reunion Party
For our current and former clients & their children, surrogates, IVF teams and staff
Tentative Date - May 17, 2:00 pm
Straus Library, Milton Academy
170 Centre Street, Milton MA 02186
The program will include and the Brenner Family Magic Show for children!
Inquiries: Jenn Skarinka
jskarinka@lawson-weitzen.com
(617) 439-4990 ext 3092
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 NEW: Circle Surrogacy now has a channel
on YouTube! Check it out for an archive of surrogacy related videos, and links to similar content on other channels. If you have any clips to suggest please contact us and we will be happy to include them or link directly to your channel.
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About Circle Surrogacy
Since 1995, Circle Surrogacy has helped bring to the world over 225 babies. Its dedicated staff of professionals is made up of lawyers, social workers, parents through surrogacy, surrogates and past clients. Circle Surrogacy provides a choice of specialized clinics at locations throughout the country, a large selection of egg donors, swift matching with carefully screened surrogates, and a variety of flexible programs and financial options to suit its clients’
unique family
choices.
John Weltman, owner, founder is a Yale graduate and a nationally recognized expert in the field of reproductive law, including surrogacy and gay parenting.
Home page...
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