Thirty-one-year-old Elise was diagnosed with a condition known as premature ovarian failure a few years ago. Her eggs cannot be fertilized and that there is no hope for her and her husband to have a child of their own.
But with the help of medical technology and the donated eggs of a student from Johns Hopkins University, the couple -- who declined to give their last name -- now has a healthy 3-month-old son.
Egg donation is a relatively new procedure that first started to become popular in 1983. Since then, more than 100,000 women have been given the opportunity to have a child who has a genetic relationship to their spouse.
According to the 2002 National Summary from the Center for Chronic Disease, about 11 percent of all assisted reproductive technology cycles -- which allow infertile couples to conceive -- were from donor eggs.
Classified advertisements seeking egg donors run in newspapers across the country -- including The Daily Pennsylvanian -- nearly every day.
A significant portion of donors are college students, since the age range for most clinics is from 21 to 32. Some clinics, though, take donors as young as 19.
The process of egg donation includes a series of medical tests and self-injections and can take between six and 12 weeks. Donors are closely monitored until the eggs are retrieved.
Donors are compensated for their time and energy with sums that can range anywhere from $2,500 to $25,000, although the average is around $5,000.
Lauren, a sophomore at NYU, donated her eggs last fall. Financial reasons were the main factor that influenced her decision.
"I was really in a bind for cash before the school year started," she said.
Fran Fox, the owner and managing director of A Woman's Gift, a private egg donation agency based in New Jersey, said she realizes that the financial compensation can be very appealing, but she believes it is not the only reason that people donate.
"I think we'd be kidding ourselves if we didn't know that financial motivations were up there," Fox said. "Whether it's primary or not ... I think you have to be the type of person that wants to give back in some way."
Geri Kochis, a junior at Boise State University in Idaho, has donated her eggs three times in the past year.
"My husband's sister was going through a lot of fertility treatments ... and I saw how difficult it was on her," Kochis said. "That was pretty much the only thing she wanted, to be able to have a baby, and it was kind of sad that I have no problem having any children ... so I decided it was a good idea" to donate, the 23-year-old mother of two said.
Kochis said that the monetary compensation was not really important and that helping someone to experience the joy of having a child was her main motivation.
"The money is nice, but it's not a real factor," Kochis said. "I mean if someone couldn't totally afford it, I would be willing to work with them."
However, egg donation may not be for everyone.
"It's a very personal decision," said Kelly Timbers, an associate director at Penn's Center for Fertility Care.
According to Timbers, most donors "don't come with any misconceptions that they're giving away a child. They understand it's genetic tissue ... it's very black and white, it's scientific to them."
Surbhi Puri, a junior in Engineering and the College, said that she's not sure if she would ever want to donate her eggs.
"It would just be weird to walk away, weird to know that somewhere half of you is walking around and you don't even know it," Puri said.
Melanie Liu, a College sophomore, feels that the main thing that would prevent her from donating would be the time commitment involved.
"I might consider doing it myself, but it does seem like a much longer process than guys going to a sperm bank donating their sperm," she said.
Regardless of what hesitations people might have, Fox said she feels that it is a wonderful thing.
"It's one of the most selfless things that young women can do. It's so respective that women can donate a piece of themselves ... I wish more people would step up to the plate."
