Dear Embryo Donors,

 

Thank you for taking the time to read about me. I hope this letter gives you a sense of who I am and the family life I hope to add to as a parent, so that you can decide whether this match feels right to you. I know that the choice to donate embryos is deeply personal, and I truly appreciate the thoughtful consideration that you are giving to this decision.

 

I have always wanted to be a mother. Because I am single, I felt it was important to be on solid footing before having a child. In my late thirties, I began trying to conceive through IVF and learned that I had diminished ovarian reserve due to previously undiagnosed endometriosis. I underwent several unsuccessful IVF cycles, while also learning more about other paths to parenthood. As a prospective single parent, I have spent a great deal of time reflecting on what makes a family. I believe that unconditional love between parent and child does not need a genetic connection. At the same time, I believe that genetic relationships should be open and honest, and that a child should know about and have a connection to this part of their heritage. For these reasons, pursuing parenthood through embryo donation feels very much like the right choice for me. I am feeling happy and excited to begin this process.

 

I work as a high school learning specialist, supporting a small caseload of students one-on-one over multiple years. Our sessions include content support in a variety of academic subjects along with working on organization, planning, and study skills. I love having the opportunity to get to know students deeply and to see their growth over time. I also advise the Dungeons and Dragons club at school. My previous background includes a degree in cognitive psychology and neuroscience and several years working as a middle school and high school science teacher. Outside of work, my hobbies include playing board games, reading, singing, and walking or jogging in the neighborhood. I love snuggling with my 18-year-old cat, and we also have chickens. I have a weekly routine of Friday night dinners with friends and their kids.

 

I am lucky to have a wonderful family and a close circle of longtime friends. My parents and siblings live nearby, and we see each other regularly. My brother works in the film industry, and his wife is a writer; they have one son, who is four years old. My sister and her husband are both artists, and my sister has also worked in early childhood education. My parents are incredibly involved grandparents to my nephew. I also have two canine and four feline “nieces and nephews.” Our family gatherings often include nature walks, music, cooking together, and conversations about books, movies, or current events. We take several small trips to see extended family per year. I also have an incredible group of friends who have come to feel like family over the years. One of my routines has long been picking up a friend’s daughter from school on Fridays before our weekly dinner, something I’ve done since she was a baby. I’m lucky to be in a community of friends with children where everyone pitches in to help.  I feel fortunate to be surrounded by such generous, loving people as I look forward to growing my family.

 

Some of my favorite childhood memories center around everyday home life, such as cooking dinner together as a family and ending the day with bedtime routines. From an early age, my siblings and I were included in meal preparation, and I remember my dad teaching me to identify different herbs and spices by smell. I also loved our bedtime traditions. After reading books together, my mom had a special lullaby that she would sing to us (Wynken, Blynken, and Nod), which is the same song that her mom had sung to her as a child. My dad also sang to us, even though he was self-conscious about his voice. He also invented a set of “Jungle Gym Stories” about kids who discovered that their climbing gym could bring them up past the clouds into the land of giants. I’m looking forward to passing along these traditions to my child and enjoying these cozy moments together. Education, music, and books were important to our family life, and I hope to create the same sense of curiosity and warmth in my own home.

 

Thank you again for reading my letter and considering this decision so thoughtfully. I understand how significant this decision is. I’ve selected an open arrangement because I believe that openness and connection to a child’s heritage is important, and I would welcome the chance to connect with you and your family in ways that feel right to us. If you have any questions for me, I would be very happy to answer them.

 

Sincerely,