Our team has worked with Circle Surrogacy and Egg Donation for several years, and we recently had the opportunity to speak with their Egg Donation Manager, Rachel Campbell. She’s sharing her experiences working in fertility, her advice for hopeful parents, and the special qualities that set Circle apart, below!
What sparked your interest in the fertility space?
Before starting my career at Circle I worked as an adoption social worker. Building families became my passion, but there were not many opportunities to learn and grow professionally in adoption. I loved the idea of continuing to help create families, and the fertility space allowed for me to not only do just that, but to challenge myself and grow and learn as advancements in fertility took shape over time. I can say that not a day goes by that I don’t learn something new and adapt to the changes in the field!
What is Circle Surrogacy’s mission? What was your goal when you started at Circle and how has that changed?
Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation’s mission statement is: “Our mission is to go above and beyond to grow families around the world by connecting, guiding and supporting intended parents, surrogates and egg donors on one of life’s most extraordinary journeys. Together, we make parenthood possible.”
I knew when I started with Circle that I wanted to play a role in helping families to grow. What I’ve learned over time is that what we do impacts so many more lives than just those of the parents through our process. Working with donors daily who are empowered by their gifts to these families has shown me just how far-reaching this process is. My goal now is to continue to help these young women to change lives and to empower them to share their experiences with others.
What have you learned over the years at Circle?
The most important thing I’ve learned in my time at Circle is that intended parents are immensely resilient and donors (and surrogates) are overwhelmingly compassionate and giving. I’ve learned that the connections between donors and intended parents extend far beyond a retrieval, regardless of whether the match was known or anonymous. Even in matches where the IPs and donors don’t ever meet directly, the donors are cheering on the IPs in the background and celebrating successes for them. The number of women who choose to donate their eggs for the sake of helping someone else to become a parent amazes me every day. The joy that donation brings not only for the recipient families but for the donors themselves is heartwarming.
What advice do you have for intended parents beginning the egg donation process?
Trust in the process. Be flexible. Follow your instincts and be open to the possibility that your path forward will be different than the path that brought you to this point.
Why do you do what you do? What makes the hard work worth it?
I have always felt strongly about doing something that made an impact on others. It’s what drew me to become a social worker and what ultimately led me to Circle. This work is certainly not always easy, but it is meaningful. Egg donation provides hope and possibility. For every challenge, there’s another story of success. Those successes keep me going.
Are there any changes you’ve noticed over the years in the world of egg donation?
More and more, we are seeing a shift towards known donation throughout the industry. This is something Circle has always encouraged and supported because of the benefit to those conceived through donation, the parents, and donors alike.
What makes Circle Surrogacy different or special, compared to other egg donor programs?
I think that Circle is an agency that is full of heart. We value and respect our donors and want them to always have a choice in who they help. Our matches are mutual because of this. We see friendships grow along with families, and that makes the entire process of helping to facilitate these journeys extra special for everyone involved.
About Rachel Campbell: Rachel earned her Master of Social Work degree from Boston University and worked in both child welfare and adoption before joining the Circle team in 2005. In her time with Circle, Rachel has held a variety of roles, including Intended Parent support, screening and matching surrogates and egg donors, and providing surrogate support. Rachel presently manages the Egg Donation Department, overseeing egg donor intake, prescreening, screening, and matching between egg donors and IPs.
