Diary of an Egg Donor

10 June 2005
I saw a sign today at UCT asking for egg donors, I have heard somewhere that egg donation is generously compensated for: I think that I might have found a way to fund a trip to Vic Falls!

18 June 2005
I went to a breakfast with other potential egg donors today. It seems like I am the only person doing this for monetary reasons. One previous donor even went as far as to say that she would donate her eggs for free seeing as it is such a worthy cause. Could this be true? I must say that I am a bit cynical. Still, it does make me feel a bit guilty. Sure, I realize that I am doing a good thing by donating my eggs and that it could allow an infertile couple to realize their dream of having a child. Yet somehow I’m just not altruistic enough to do this without the monetary compensation. Does this make me a cold hearted person? Surely most people feel the same way?

Anyway, I was given an extremely long and detailed questionnaire to fill in which in my mind adds to the whole mercenary nature of the donation. It is a business transaction and I am now busy marketing my genes!

12 September 2005
Hurrah! I have been chosen! I have to say the fact that someone would like their child to have my genes is quite a boost to the self esteem. Saying that, I do have my daughter in my arms in the pictures on the Renew website - she is so gorgeous that everyone who meets her instantaneously becomes broody! So I am sure that me being chosen to become an egg donor has more to do with her aesthetic charms than with me!

14 September 2005
I received an email from the couple I am donating to today. I must say that this has changed my sentiment completely. They seem so desperate to have a child and are so grateful that I am willing to donate my eggs to them. I cannot imagine what it would be like not to be able to satisfy that core desire to have a child. The conception of my daughter was unplanned and occurred under rather inconvenient circumstances yet she is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me, she is a constant source of joy and amazement and I cannot imagine life without her. How tough must it be to desire such an experience only to realize that it may never occur? At least Renew Fertility offers some hope.

13 November 2005
I am donating in approximately two weeks! Unfortunately this means that I am now facing a week of injections. I am absolutely terrified, and this seems to be a source of entertainment to the sisters at the fertility as they laughingly informed me that I not only have to inject myself nearly every day this week but that they will be performing blood tests every day next week to ensure that I do not ovulate!

15 November 2005
This morning I was standing in the bathroom trying to find inspiration to ease the fact that I had to stick an incredibly large needle into my left buttock. Strangely enough, the thought of the monetary compensation did not occur to me, rather the thought that this process would allow two people who desperately desire a child of their own to realize their dreams, seemed to do the trick! On top of that, I think that this process has finally cured my needle phobia!

17 November 2005
I am feeling so exited! It is so amazing to think that these five little eggs in my ovary will be harvested and used to create a child! I really, really hope that this works out for Mickey and Peter! The scary thing however is that there is only about a 40 percent chance that conception occurs. The nurses believe that this is quite a high success rate, but to me it seems so low. It must be tough for Mickey and Peter to put so much hope and effort into the conception of their child, knowing that only there is only 40 percent chance of success!

25 November 2005
When I arrived at the clinic this morning to donate the eggs one of the sisters presented me with a gift package put together by Mickey and Peter. The card accompanying the package broke my heart. They said that they would never be able to thank me enough for the hope that I have given them and that they would always be grateful for what I have done.

I have not done anything to deserve their gratitude, and I wish that I could tell them this. I have simply provided some genetic material, which I was generously compensated for. It is sisters and the doctors at the clinic and the people from Renew Fertility, who through their hard work and care may help this couple to realize their dreams. I just wish that I could personally do more to make it come true.

At the beginning of this process I was highly cynical when a previous donor stated that she would do the process for free. Now after my experience, I too feel that if this donation does not help the couple to conceive I would gladly go through the process again without receiving any compensation. After all “A candle loses nothing from sharing its light”