Giving infertile women the chance to raise a child

Nurture is a South African egg donor and surrogacy programme set up in 2008 to respond to the increasing need for donor eggs and surrogates.

The brainchild of Tertia Albertyn, an infertility patient who conceived her twins on her ninth IVF, and Melany Bartok, a former egg donor, set up Nurture to make egg donation affordable and accessible to local couples.

“Infertility is something I am passionate about,” explains Albertyn. “There was a real need for a local program to be created, one run by people who really understand the world of infertility. Being involved with Nurture has been an extremely fulfilling experience for me. Helping so many other people become parents gives some kind of meaning and sense to all the pain and loss I went through. Being able to play a small role in this amazing process is both humbling and hugely gratifying.”

Donating eggs under the excellent care of top class clinics like Vitalab is a relatively simple process. However, not just anyone can become an egg donor. The selection criterion is fairly rigorous; this is done in order to protect both the donor and the intended parents.

Albertyn says, “In terms of the donor's needs, we have to make sure that, firstly, she fully understands all the implications of what she is about to do, both on a physical and emotional level. And of course, we have to reassure her that her future capacity to have children is not compromised. Our donors are very special to us, and we, make sure we look after them very well.” In terms of looking after our intended parents' needs, we obviously want to make sure that the donated eggs are healthy and of good quality(we are unable to ensure either!). These are people who have often walked a long, lonely path filled with heartache. We want to give them the best possible chance of becoming parents.

One in every six couples struggles to conceive. That is a significant number. Of these, about 35% of the causes for infertility rest with the woman. Vitalab Fertility Clinic's Dr Merwyn Jacobson says infertility in women can be attributed to a number of problems, with a woman's age being a major factor (ovulation progressively becomes less efficient after the age of 30). As many as 30% of all causes of female infertility are due to issues with ovulation, while up to 40% of women's fertility problems can be linked to adhesions, scar tissue or blockages of the fallopian tubes caused primarily by pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and endometriosis and abnormalities of and damage to the uterine cavity.

Jacobson adds that having poor quality eggs, or no eggs at all is also a major infertility factor, as he explains: “Many women are unable to produce their own eggs. The early onset of menopause leaves a woman with no hormones, and poor quality or no eggs.

Some women's ovaries fail to ovulate, while exposure to auto immune diseases and cancer treatments can harm or destroy eggs. Some genetic diseases may be passed on, making it difficult to conceive or putting the new-born at risk.”

In its short history, Nurture has established a solid track record, recording a success rate of more than 65% per attempt (which includes 10 sets of twins) which in itself is remarkable, as Albertyn explains: “These are women who have been trying for years and years with no success and lots of losses. It gives such wonderful hope.” Albertyn credits the top-class clinics Nurture deals with - including Vitalab - for much of their success. “I have 100 percent faith in the clinics we use. This is their area of expertise and they are among the best in the world. We know that when we send our donors and our recipients to a clinic like Vitalab, they will be well looked after and have the best possible chance of success.”

Prospective donors can apply online (www.nurture.co.za) and complete an initial application which is screened by Nurture. Once screened and accepted, the prospective donor must complete a comprehensive application form which, when approved, is followed by a one-on-one interview. “Perhaps one of our biggest strengths is our database of donors,” says Albertyn. “We like to offer each intended parent a large variety of good potential matches. Some parents-to-be focus more on the physical attributes of the donor (so that these match those of the intended mother) while others place more importance on the donor's personality, her academic achievements or sporting abilities. It is important to remember that all our donors are anonymous, and only the donor's baby pictures are shown to the potential recipient.”

While Nurture is justifiably proud of its donor database, there are certain categories of donors which unfortunately do not have a strong presence. Donors of Indian and Asian descent do not feature much on the database, and Albertyn says there are not nearly enough Black donors. “Infertility, and therefore things like egg donation, is not as readily acceptable or spoken about in certain cultures, which means that fewer Indian, Asian and Black potential donors know about the opportunity to become an egg donor. This is a great pity as there are so many recipients out there who are desperate for someone to help them.”

“Admittedly, becoming an egg donor is not a decision to take lightly. Donors should carefully consider the emotional, psychological and medical implications of becoming an egg donor. The medical procedure involves the removal of the eggs via vaginal aspiration, and the donors will be placed under conscious sedation - the same procedure as IVF. It is important to know that donating your eggs does not mean you are ‘using up' your supply of eggs. Instead, the donated eggs are ones that would have normally gone to waste with your monthly cycle. Egg donation is a truly wonderful thing; it gives hope where there was previously none. There is an increasing number of women out there who can finally call themselves ‘mother' because of the generosity of our donors.”

As for the recipient, the wonder of an answered prayer is unbounded. According to Albertyn, while there is a definite sense of loss when the prospective mother realises that her child won't have her DNA, it helps enormously that she will still be playing a very important role: that of carrying the baby.

As one recipient mother wrote to Nurture: “being on the other side…. I can't believe how much it (where the egg came from) doesn't matter. It isn't possible for me to love this child any more. He's 100% mine, no matter how he was conceived, or from whom. I know there are so many people struggling with this decision, some feeling that they just can't go the donor egg route. Once they feel that baby kick, or hold that child in their arms - nothing else matters. I wish I could put them in my life for a day so they could truly see. I wish I could convince everyone who is sitting on the fence with this issue. I have no doubt that some people will miss out on this wonderful opportunity because of the fears they have about donor eggs…..”