Fertility nurse inspires daughter to become egg donor

Written by: Hillary Redwine | Posted: May 12, 2021

Connie Wharton always knew she wanted to be a nurse but specializing in fertility wasn’t initially part of her plan. While serving as a corpsman in the United States Navy, Connie worked at a fertility clinic that was part of a military hospital in San Diego, California. It was there that she found her calling.

“I fell in love with the patients and the work,” Connie says.

While working at the military hospital, Connie spent one week out of each month at a civilian fertility clinic where she assisted with invitro fertilization (IVF) cycles that sometimes included an egg donor or gestational carrier.

“I got to see all sides of the fertility journey while working at the civilian clinic,” Connie explains. “It helped me to fully understand and appreciate the role egg donors and surrogates have in helping to create a family.”

The experience touched her so deeply, in fact, that Connie decided to become a gestational carrier after having her own children.

Supporting her patients

Today, Connie works as a registered nurse and IVF coordinator at OU Physicians Reproductive Medicine in Oklahoma City, where she has been since 2005. She says the best of her job is getting to be the person patients turn to when they need support.

“I coordinate cycles for one doctor, so I spend a lot of time getting to know the patients and their families; there’s a lot of continuity,” Connie explains. “I try to make everyone feel special. Each patient deserves my full attention and to know that I’m focused her, not the patients coming after her.”

Supporting her daughter through egg donation

In 2019, when Connie’s daughter, Jordan, approached her about wanting to become an egg donor, she immediately referred Jordan to Egg Donor Solutions (EDS). “I’ve always been impressed with the attention to detail and the follow ups when working with EDS,” Connie says. “They give the same attention to both parties [intended parents and egg donors] during the process, which is not all that common. I wanted to know that someone would be looking out for Jordan’s best interests, as well as the intended parents. I knew I could trust EDS with my daughter.”

Connie supported Jordan throughout her egg donation cycle, giving her injections, accompanying her to monitoring appointments (which she was able to do at OU) and traveling with her to Fort Worth, Texas for the initial visit with the intended parents’ physician and the egg retrieval.

“We did the whole thing together,” Connie says. “I’m glad Jordan wanted me to be part it and that I got to be there for her.”

The proud mom also notes that Jordan was a great donor. “She produced a lot of eggs, and after testing, there were 18 normal embryos!”

For Jordan, being able to lean on Connie and her experience as a nurse was invaluable. “I didn’t have many questions because this is something I grew up around, but it was really beneficial to have my mom there,” Jordan says. “She understood what everything meant [from a medical perspective] and knew what I needed when I needed it. I was also glad that I didn’t have to do the injections myself!”

Providing the inspiration to help create a family

When asked if she was inspired to become an egg donor because of Connie’s work at the fertility clinic, Jordan wholeheartedly agrees. “I grew up hearing about my mom’s patients and how all they wanted was to have a family,” Jordan says. “It was destined. Eventually, I was going to do this [help create a family] in some fashion. My mom and the other nurses take such great care of their patients and knowing that I can make a difference too, even at my age, is really neat.”

Jordan’s intended parents recently sent her a letter following the birth of their daughter, which, as Jordan explains, has been best part of her experience thus far.

“It felt great to get the letter,” Jordan says. “I can tell from their words how grateful they are when they look at their daughter. I hope I get to experience that feeling again with another family.”

Thank You to the Nurses Who Help Us Create Happy Families!

Written by: Hillary Redwine | Posted: May 6, 2021

In honor of Nurses Week (May 6-12), we want to recognize the many nurses who help us create happy families by going above and beyond to support our intended parents and egg donors. Our coordinators at Egg Donor Solutions (EDS) work closely with nurses throughout each step in the process to execute a seamless cycle for everyone involved.

“Nurses play a critical role in all cycles. Not only do they handle a substantial amount of the screening and planning process, but they are many intended parents’ support system as well,” says Kallie Wilson, client care and operations director. “Nurses, particularly in this field, have too much on their plate most days. We simply want to make their lives easier.”

How EDS supports nurses

With many details to consider in an egg donation cycle – from medical screenings to scheduling appointments and sending reminders to making sure the donor has her medication and understands how to use it to keeping the intended parents updated – EDS coordinators support nurses however they can.

“I want to take care of the small details, reminders and coordination between parties so they can focus on the medical side of things,” Kallie explains. “Our job is to learn each clinic’s preference and work to be proactive versus reactive.”

Amy Huston, Care Coordinator, adds, “I work to ensure everyone is on the same page with the timeline and make sure the donor knows what she needs to do, where she needs to be and when. I also share this information with the intended parents and keep them informed about where things are in the process.”

Communication is key

Communication between EDS coordinators and nurses is essential to ensuring that cycles run smoothly. “It’s important for us to establish good relationships and frequent, open communication with the nurses at each clinic,” Amy says.  

Melissa Martinez, Care Coordinator & Development Coordinator, agrees. “We work to ensure consistent and effective communication regarding all things having to do with our donors, so nurses don’t have to field as many questions. In addition, we can be the liaison between the nurse and the donor to address any concerns and help keep the donor on track as far as appointments and medications.”

Recognizing the importance of nurses

The collaboration with nurses at our partner clinics enables the EDS team to better serve intended parents and egg donors. Their support is vital to executing a successful cycle.

“Without the nurses running point in the clinics, our efforts would be that much more difficult to manage,” Melissa says. “And the doctors would be without the support they need to complete the egg retrievals.

“To all nurses: We thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for the level of care and compassion you have as you selflessly serve your patients. You put patient care at the top of your list while you keep everything running behind the scenes and, without you, our work would not be possible. You are loved and appreciated more than words can sufficiently express. Thank you for all that you do!”

National Infertility Awareness Week: You Can Be the Solution!

Written by: Hillary Redwine | Posted: April 23, 2021

This week at Egg Donor Solutions, we have been focused on sharing information and resources about National Infertility Awareness Week in an effort to support the 1 in 8 couples who struggle with infertility. As an egg donor, you could be the solution to helping one of these couples create the family of their dreams!

The infertility journey
When intended parents (IPs) come to us seeking help to create their family, they often have been trying to conceive for many years. Sometimes infertility is due to age. Sometimes it’s the result of a medical diagnosis, such as cancer or a genetic condition. And other times there simply is no explanation.

We hear stories about failed IVF cycles and pregnancies that ended in a miscarriage, in some cases multiple times. There is a lot of sadness and grief to work through. Intended mothers need time to process the loss of a genetic connection to their future child(ren).

But as they work through those emotions, there is usually a renewed sense of hope when they realize they can still have the family they dream of with the help of an egg donor. And their gratitude for the women who help them create their families is immeasurable.

Letters from IPs
Sometimes IPs will write a letter to their donor to share a little about their journey and express their gratitude. Below are excerpts from a few letters where IPs have shared their fertility struggles.

Prior to marriage, we discussed our mutual desires to start a family. Since we married later in life, our fertility journey was tough. We tried IVF and considered adoption. We met with our fertility doctor, and they mentioned that egg donation might be an option. When we started looking at egg donors, we were not sure if we would find one that felt “right.” We were very happy to find you and that you agreed to be our donor. Thank you helping us with our journey!

You may be curious why are needing to seek fertility treatment to become parents. You see, [name retracted] was born with Turner’s Syndrome, which resulted in a congenital heart defect. She has had two open-heart surgeries, the second one resulting in a valve replacement. Needless to say, our lives have been touched by a donor before. It takes a tremendously caring person to help strangers like us add to our family, and we are forever grateful we found that in you.

Just wanted to reach out and thank you for helping us start our family. So, you know a little about us and our journey to here…we have been married now for almost 6 years. After completing some tests, I came to find out my egg count was extremely low. We tried multiple rounds of IUIs and a round of IVF, which were unsuccessful. After all of that, the doctor recommended another round; however, we chose to start our family using donor eggs. Being able to even have this option at this point is a blessing. I truly cannot express all the feelings, but to say thank you for helping us make our family dreams come true.

We spent the first five years of our marriage trying to conceive a child. We knew it could be a challenge because I lost an ovary due to a dermoid cyst. We were successful at pregnancy through IVF the first time we tried, but we lost the pregnancy early. We tried many IUIs and medicated “natural” attempts, where I would take fertility meds and we would try to time things just right. We were about to start one of those medicated attempts. I was waiting for my cycle to start, and it was late. We learned I was pregnant, naturally! That was a thrill, and I am glad we got to experience that surprise. However, we also lost that pregnancy early. I have heard of so many women experiencing multiple miscarriages. But, for me, only two was enough heartbreak. We essentially stopped trying at that point. I began to try to accept the fact that I would not experience pregnancy. Maybe we could adopt. Though, I really wanted to experience life growing in my womb; I want that bond. So, I suggested that we try again, but with donor eggs. And then we began to search for you. It is an amazing and beautiful gift you are willing to share. I feel that you have a special understanding of what you are giving us because you are a mother. The generosity that must be in your heart that you are willing to share a literal piece of yourself with strangers is so admirable to us.

We wanted to tell you thank you for all you’re doing to help our dreams of having children come true. We met and got married in our late 20s, and at age 30, I was diagnosed with cancer. After treatment, I am now 33 years old and cancer free; however, I am now unable to have a child genetically related to me. This was devastating news, but I have made peace with it, and I am genuinely excited and ready to have a child regardless of whose DNA he or she has. We looked through many profiles over the last several months and no one seemed just right, until YOU. We were so relieved to find your profile and instantly felt connected to you. We are so thankful to you for your help in making that dream a reality.

Be the solution
You can be the solution to helping IPs like these create their happy families! In addition to the personal fulfillment that comes with helping to create a family, donors are compensated for their time and commitment to the egg donation process. If you are interested in becoming an egg donor, please spend some time reviewing the requirements and application process on our website at www.eggdonorinformation.com. You can also reach out to our team directly through the website. We would love to connect with you!