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World Record: Woman’s Egg Donations Resulted in 19 Babies..and the Kicker?
Major Egg Donor
Faith Haugh is a baby making machine. The 41-year-old woman from Australia has donated her own eggs to help create 19 children for couples struggling with infertility. And it looks like 19 may just be the new world record.
She actually has been through the process 41 times during 41 different ‘donor cycles’ where she given hormones to boost her eggs production. And while there are side effects, some uncomfortable and some even life threatening, she claims she hasn’t had any ill effects from the process.
Faith began to donate eggs about 17 years ago after seeing an ad in the paper. A couple who were looking for a donor acquired her eggs and it resulted in twins. She went on to donate to numerous couples with the baby count reaching 19. And the most amazing things about her? The “kicker?” She wasn’t paid, except for out of pocket expenses since it is illegal to pay for a woman’s eggs in Australia.
“I may sound a little distant but as I’m not the one desperate to become a mother, I don’t get emotionally invested.” She continued saying, “I just tell myself that the eggs that would usually go to waste each month now goes on to hopefully helping a couple achieve the dream of parenthood.”
She also keeps in touch with the proud new parents and has given permission for the children to meet her when they reach 18.
The last record of egg donations from a single donor? Reportedly just 11.
Would you ever go through the process without a financial reward? And would you do it 19 times ?
Photo via Flickr
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6 Comments
Jessica commented on May 31 11 at 7:37 pmI think it would depend on who was getting the eggs. For a good friend or family member, I would probably do it for free. I don’t think I could do it for a complete stranger though.
anon commented on Jun 01 11 at 4:10 pmI have my children thanks to the selfless act of a woman like her (egg donors don´t get paid much in my country either) and so If I could I´d do it too, there´s no better gift.
DJ commented on Jun 09 11 at 12:45 amI have donated eggs to a friend. She has 3 children from the 41 eggs they retrieved in just one cycle. I only received reimbursement for travel (she lives a few states away) and $500 as a gift.
It’s very time consuming and involves many needles so if I could do it again (which I cannot because I’ve had an irreversible tube blocking
procedure) I would definitely want to be compensated.
Surviving Five commented on Jun 09 11 at 7:57 amIf I was going to do it I would do it for free, definitely, it would be for the reward of helping an infertile couple have a child. BUT emotionally I don’t know that I could do it, I think I would be somehow emotionally attached to the child. I wish I could, it’s a beautiful gift
Bonnie commented on Jan 26 12 at 4:28 pmTo DJ: Egg donation has nothing at all to do with your tubes being blocked or unblocked. As you (should) know, to retrieve the eggs, the doctor uses a long needle that goes through the walls of the vagina to collect ripe eggs directly from the ovary. So I suspect that perhaps you really didn’t donate eggs at all because I’m not sure how you could not know this. I’ve had IVF 4 times. Egg Retrieval involves twilight anesthesia, an operating room and up some serious pain afterward. And has absolutely nothing at all to do with your tubes.
Gina commented on Feb 29 12 at 7:47 amI would consider doing it, but as opposite as what Jessica would consider, I think I would HAVE to do it for a stranger. I’d be uncomfortable if a close friend or relative was raising a child that is genetically mine as his or her own, but that’s just me. I would definitely want to be compensated for my eggs as well. I do not, however, think that I could carry a baby for a complete stranger. I think I could carry for a friend or close relative who has tried other methods but were unable to carry.
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