A Friday Night Call I'll Never Forget: A Day in the Life of Donor Egg Bank USA

It was a Friday and I had planned to leave early because I was going out of town that night. As I was wrapping up and heading out the door, my office phone rang. I immediately thought of the traffic on the beltway and hesitated to answer. But the thought of making someone wait for help until Monday bothered me, so I answered the phone with a big smile on my face.

I spoke with a woman who had been thinking about using donor egg for quite some time, and she had a few questions about our financial plans. I explained the plan benefits and I shared with her our donor egg success rates. Her voice broke up a little and she said something softly which I did not hear clearly. I asked her to repeat her question and she said “never mind, I don’t want to bother you with my problems.” I felt a sensation of sadness, since her pain was palpable. I took a deep breath, and reassured her that we shared a common goal – for her to deliver a baby. Usually when I talk to clients, they seem to gain hope and get excited. But this wasn’t just any call; I was talking to a person with a broken dream.

We continued to chat and started to bond, and even found a few things in common. We discussed the egg donor options on our website and her ethnic background. As we talked about physical characteristics of a donor, she told me she had a little girl. She mentioned her name, and I felt the woman’s sadness once again. I tried to be as receptive as possible; I wanted to make sure she did not feel she was alone. I shared with her that I also have walked the road of infertility. For those struggling through infertility, knowing you’re not alone means a lot.

Then the woman sadly told me that her daughter had passed away from cancer. I paused, tearing up. She explained they had never lost hope that their little girl would recover; however the disease had taken over and the doctors couldn’t do anything more.

It took me a minute to get back on track; it broke my heart to hear how unfair it was to lose your only child to cancer. As a mother of two boys, I couldn’t help but put myself in her shoes.

She made it clear she was not trying to replace her daughter. She only wanted a baby in her life again. Because she was in her 40s, the odds of conceiving a baby on her own were unlikely. Her doctor said that frozen donor egg would be the most viable option.

Hearing her story has motivated me to work even harder to support those with infertility. Here at Donor Egg Bank USA, we strongly believe that everyone has the right to experience parenthood. Thankfully with modern science and technology, there are now more options available to build a family.

This phone call was one of the most memorable calls I’ve taken during my career. I think of this client every day and pray that frozen donor egg will help her conceive the baby she hopes for.