Why I Became an Egg Donor – Anjelica’s Story

My name is Anjelica*, and I have donated eggs five times in the last ten years. The first time I donated, the matchmaker that I used – who I found on Craigslist, if I’m being completely honest here – told me that it is recommended that you donate no more than six times. “Six times?” I remember thinking. “Lady, I won’t be doing this more than once.” Why would anyone?

The first time, I was twenty-two years old and I was flat out broke. I’d seen the ads: “Get compensated up to $60k to donate eggs!” It took about 2 minutes of investigation to understand that the fee is nowhere near $60k. (That is much more in line with surrogacy fees, which makes sense. You’re carrying someone’s entire child to term and donating your body for the better part of a year, after all.) However, the $8k that was offered was still enough to intrigue me. 

Nobody ever wants to admit that they did something like this with a primary motivator of money, but that’s the reality for a lot of young people these days. I was no different. But I can say this: my subsequent donations were not just about the money. 

My first donation was anonymous. I honestly didn’t think much of it at the time, for whatever reason. The idea that I was contributing to someone else’s family, and fundamentally changing their lives, simply wasn’t registering with me. Until about a year later, the matchmaker told me my Intended Parents had written a letter and asked if I would like to see it. I didn’t see the harm, so I read it. 

They told me they’d had a little girl. They told me it was only possible because of me. They told me that I had given them a gift that nobody else would ever be able to touch, and that they would be grateful for me every day for the rest of their lives. I sat down and I cried. I’m tearing up now, remembering it, and it has been nearly a decade. I had never been humbled in that way before, and I in turn am grateful. 

That perspective is what kept me coming back. Yes, the money was always a much appreciated blessing, but the reality is this “donation” isn’t a one way street in terms of what it can give you. It is for that reason that I have become something of an egg donation evangelist. It isn’t easy, and it isn’t for everyone, but if the idea interests you at all and you qualify, I encourage you to look into it. It genuinely changed my life.

If you are interested in becoming an Egg Donor, contact the team at Simple Surrogacy today. 

*Donor’s name has been altered for privacy.