YOU'RE
YOU'RE >>
YOU'RE >> WATCHING 13 ON YOUR SIDE MORNIG INFIRTILITY IS A SUBJECT THAT'S BEING TALKED
ABOUT MORE AND MORE AS COUPLES
SHARE THEIR CHALLENGES AND FIND
SUPPORT.
BUT THE REALITY IS EVERYONE'S4@
INFIRTILITY JOURNEY4@ IS
DIFFERENT AND WHAT OBSTACLES
YOU FACE MIGHT4@ VARY BY RACE.
YESTERDAY WE SHARED THAT AS OF
TODAY THERE ARE NO AVAILABLE
BLACK EGG DONORS IN WEST
MICHIGAN4@.
IT'S AN ISSUE THAT IS RARELY
TALKED ABOUT BUT ONE THAT'S
AFFECTING 4@FAMILIES4@ RIGHT HEE
IN OUR AREA.
WE'RE GOING TO RUN A LIVE
PACKAGE >> WHEN VOTING ON YOUR
SIDE PRODUCER RHONDA SPENCER
AND HER HUSBAND JAMAL.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR A BLACK EGG
DONOR AND COULDN'T FIND ONE.
SHE STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS4@.
IT SEEMED LIKE IT JUST WASN'T
SOMETHING THAT BLACK WOMEN EVEN
THOUGHT ABOUT.
I HAD SOME SAY, YOU KNOW, 4@THAT
JUST SEEMS WEIRD.
THEY JUST COULDN'T WRAP THEIR
HEADS AROUND EVEN DOING THAT.
YOU KNOW, 4@AND SO PART OF ME
THINKS MAYBE IT'S4@ JUST A
CULTURAL THING.
THE >> FOUNDER OF FERTILITY FOR@
COLORED GIRLS, REVEREND DR.
STACEY EDWARDS DAANE AGREES.
CULTURALLY >> WE AS4@4@ WOMEN OF
COLOR OR WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN
KISSED BY NATURE SOME WE HAVE4@
SOME VERY UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
THAT WE BRING TO THE TABLE
REGARDING OUR FERTILITY
CHALLENGES >>.
THAT'S WHY SHE FOUNDED FFCG4@
WHICH HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE 14
CHAPTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY4@
INCLUDING DETROIT I FELT >> LED
TO START IT BECAUSE THERE WAS
NO ORGANIZATION AVAILABLE FOR
WOMEN THAT4@ LOOK LIKE ME OR OR
SAFE SPACE WHERE4@ WE COULD COME
TO SHARE OUR UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
>>, SHE SAYS THE REASON THERE
ARE SO FEW BLACK EGG DONORS I4@S
THREE FOLD AND IT STARTS WITH
FEAR OF THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY.
MANY >> BLACK WOMEN AND COUPLES@
DO NOT TRUST THE MEDICAL SYSTEM@
BECAUSE OF THINGS LIKE THE
TUSKEGEE EXPERIENCE WHEN WE
THINK4@ ABOUT HENRIETTA LACKS AD
DR. SAM'S WHO4@ PERFORMED ALL OF
THESE PROCEDURES ON CLé OR YOU
KNOW BLACK WOMEN WITHOUT
ANESTHESIA, YOU KNOW, WE'RE
VERY >> LEERY.
SHE SAYS THERE'S A LACK OF
AWARENESS AS WELL4@.
A LOT >> OF BLACK YOUNG WOMEN
DON'T EVEN REALIZE THAT IT'S AN
OPTION >>4@.
THEN THERE'S THE CULTURAL
PIECE.
THIS >> IDEA ESPECIALLY WHEN WE
THINK ABOUT WHAT SOCIETY SAYS
ABOUT YOU KNOW,4@ WHO WE ARE AS
BLACK WOMEN, BLACK WOMEN AND
MEN4@ HAVING ALL THESE BABIES,
YOU KNOW, AND THE IMPLICATIONS
OF THAT.
SO THE QUESTIONS THAT DO ARISE
ONCE WE BEGIN TO HAVE THE
CONVERSATION THAT IF I USE4@ MY
EGGS OR YOU KNOW, IF I DONATE
MY4@ JONEIGH MY EGGS OR MY, THE
IMPLICATIONS OF THAT THEY4@ MAY
MEAN THAT I'M HAVING ALL THESE
CHILDREN IN THE WORLD.
I DON'T I MEAN IT'S SO MANY
PSYCHOLOGICALLY, MENTALLY AND
EMOTIONALLY THINGS THAT WE ARE
TRYING TO DISCERN RONDA'S4@4@
WILLINGNESS TO SHARE HER STORY
IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF RAISING
AWARENESS SURROUNDING4@ THIS
ISSUE SO CHANGE CAN HAPPEN AND
WHEN THEY CAN TRUST THE SERVICE
PROVIDER.
I DO THINK THAT WE4@ COULD SEE N
INCREASE IN WOMEN WHO WILL BE
DONORS4@ IN THE END RHONDA AND
JAMAL CHOSE TO MOVE FORWARD >>.
WE DECIDED THAT HAVING A
HEALTHY DONOR WAS THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING.
YOU KNOW.
SO WHETHER IT WAS A BLACK WOMAN
OR A WHITE WOMAN OR SOMEONE4@ WO
WAS BIRACIAL, IT DIDN'T QUITE
MATTER TO US ANYMORE4@.
EVEN THOUGH THE PATH TO
PARENTHOOD HAS BEEN WINDING,
RHONDA IS HOPEFUL.
THE ENCOURAGING THING ABOUT
HAVING AN EGG DONOR IS THAT
THEY4@ ARE STATISTICALLY THEY AE
VERY S4@UCCESSFUL AND SO EVEN
THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN YOU KNOW
,A LOT OF LETDOWNS THROUGHOUT
THIS ENTIRE JOURNEY JUST4@
KNOWING WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY
BE AT THE END OF IT, YOU KNOW,
IT MAKES IT ALL WORTH IT4@.
DONATING >> EGGS IS4@ A SELFLESS
ACT AND ONE THAT DOES C4@OME WIH
COMPENSATION4@ F4@OR APPLICANTS
DONATING >> EGGS IS4@ A SELFLESS ACT AND ONE THAT DOES C4@OME WIH COMPENSATION4@ F4@OR APPLICANTSO
MAKE IT THROUGH THE SCREENING
PROCESS AND ARE ABLE TO4@ DONATE
AT THE FERTILITY CENTER HERE IN
GRAND RAPIDS THEY'LL RECEIVE A
FOUR THOUSAND4@ CHECK ON THE DAY
OF EGG RETRIEVAL.
THE CENTER DOES HAVE A DONOR
OF EGG RETRIEVAL. THE CENTER DOES HAVE A DONOR4@ REFERRAL REWARD PROGRAM IN
PLACE AS WELL.
IF YOU REFER SOMEONE WHO DONATE
SUCCESSFULLY YOU'LL RECEIVE A
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLAR CHECK4@.
THEY REALLY WANT TO EXPAND
THEIR DONOR BANK AND THEY NEED
THE HELP OF4@ THE COMMUNITY TO O
IT.
AND WE HAVE A LINK TO THEIR
WEBSITE IN THIS STORY ON OUR
WEBSITE.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE DEEPLY
GRATEFUL TO RHONDA AND JAMAL
FOR SHARING4@ A STORY HELPING TO
RAISE AWARENESS AROUND THIS
ISSUE AND4@ THIS IS SO AWESOME
THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE AND
SUPPORT FOR THEM SINCE THE
STORY HAS AIRED YESTERDAY HAS
BEEN JUST AMAZING.
THE LAST TWENTY FOUR HOURS
PEOPLE HAVE CALLED AND E-MAILED
THE NEWSROOM ASKING FOR WAYS
THAT THEY CAN HELP AND IT