Julie Allgood
Julie began her career as an educator in suburban Chicago. Her broad background included production positions which allowed her to use her strong organizational and creative skills in the Corporate Communications industry. Her production experience, combined with her teaching skills and love of children led her to produce a successful video, Sing it Again!, a “Learn With Music Video” that combined music and movement for the young child. This video enjoyed a wide release, particularly to many libraries and classrooms across the country.
Julie holds an MA in psychology, which has helped her to build strong communication skills, and a unique insight into people and their needs. She listens carefully as much for what is not said, as to what is said. She is also a trained mediator, continually developing skills including communication, active listening and the negotiation process. Julie’s leadership has been called upon to head up numerous fundraising and improvement projects with her children’s schools.
Her gentle, caring approach to clients and surrogates make her a strong, yet safe touchstone in the sometimes challenging and confusing process of surrogacy. In particular, it is a priority for her to help prepare clients - on all levels – for the sometimes unpredictable journey of surrogacy. Now Julie brings her unique blend of skills to Abundant Beginnings – guiding and managing surrogacy cases for clients all over the world.
Holly Gregg
After three years of infertility struggles including IVF, miscarriage, and many negative pregnancy tests, Holly Gregg and her husband Chad, became parents through a frozen embryo transfer. Ms. Gregg began her blog, “Ready to be a Mom” in order to work through the pain and difficulties of her journey toward motherhood, and in doing so found an incredible community of support and advocacy to which she is honored to contribute. She continues to blog on issues facing the infertility community as well as her own personal experiences with parenting after infertility. Formerly working in the field of victim’s rights, she is currently preparing for a Master’s degree in the field of sociology in hopes to expand research, education and advocacy on the issues of involuntary childlessness and infertility. Gregg, her husband Chad, and their daughter Eliana live in Orange County, California.
Nicole Lawson
Like many young females, I pictured myself going to college, beginning a career, meeting a great partner, planning a storybook wedding, and eventually having children. At 28, I was well on my way, having become a television executive with a wonderful husband and living in a cute, modest house with a white picket fence. My plans were on schedule until I tried to have a baby.
Three years later, my body was riddled with hormones and fatigued from several IUI (artificial insemination) attempts, three successful IVF’s each ending with a miscarriage, and two invasive uterine surgeries. I was then confronted with the ugly truth: I had a uterus that would most likely not allow me to carry the one thing I wanted so badly in the world. Years of tears and anguish had left my husband and me frustrated and without savings to continue our pursuit.
Our desperate journey then took a positive turn. With financial support from parents, my husband and I hired a surrogate to carry our biological child. Today as I look at our beautiful daughter, I realize we were the lucky ones. With money, we escaped our nightmare.
For me, the fulfillment of my dream – as sweet as it may be – is also unsettling. I understand the anguish felt by so many who cannot afford to pursue even the initial fertility procedures that could aid conception.
In my current work, both as a case worker for a Los Angeles based surrogacy agency and as co-founder of Baby Quest, I understand the necessity of making advanced procedures a reality rather than a dream.
Maya Moskin
Maya Moskin, LCSW, RYT, is a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist who provides individual, child/family, and group therapy. Her own battle with infertility has shifted her focus to helping others struggling to find their family. She connects to the infertility community through her blog, Don’t Count Your Eggs, and is currently working on a memoir and documentary about her journey to parenthood. She is still in search of her ending. Maya is also a certified yoga instructor, and incorporates mindfulness, meditation, and yoga into her therapeutic practice and in her life.
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