The Right to a Family
Bill and Elisa Snyder of Phoenix suffered a horrifying loss in 2006. Their only child committed suicide. Even through their grief, they committed themselves to starting a family again. They were in their early 50’s and found no help from the traditional avenues for assisted reproduction or family building. No clinics would help them, and adoption agencies considered them "unsuitable due to age".
As part of their search, they became acquainted with the practice of Gestational Surrogacy, which was not as well-known then as it is today. Using traditional IVF, the sperm and eggs of the parents (or donors) are combined in a lab to create a viable embryo. But unlike typical IVF, the embryo is then implanted into the womb of a third woman (the Surrogate). The surrogate carries this embryo, which has no biological relation to her, to term and a successful birth, at which time the baby is returned to its intended parents.
It was a complicated and expensive process, with lots of twists and turns, and numerous third parties who became involved. But with determination and the assistance of a wonderful surrogate named Jerri, they succeeded in having 2 beautiful twins, a boy and a girl. Today they are healthy, strong and confident teenagers, and Bill and Elisa couldn’t be happier. As a bonus, their surrogacy agreement not only delivered them a family, but also a new dear friend in Jerri.
Gestational surrogacy remains a controversial subject in many states. The current legal approach in Arizona could best be described as neutral. Intended Parents (IP’s) are free to make any agreement they want with surrogates, but these agreements have no legal standing. The surrogate could walk away with the IP’s money, or decide that she wanted to keep the baby for herself. Or the IP’s could walk away, leaving a pregnant surrogate with no legal recourse.
It is these concerns that led Bill, Elisa and Jerri to start Arizona Miracles, a consultancy dedicated to helping IP’s navigate the often confusing and complex process of assisted reproduction through surrogacy. “We offer advice and assistance to any and all IP’s seeking the services of a surrogate’” says Bill. That includes explaining the process, helping manage the process via schedules and regular status meetings, recommendations and connections with service providers and selection and evaluation of surrogate candidates.
To work around the legal challenges in Arizona, the Snyders arrange for certain parts of the process to occur out-of-state. Specific activities take place at nearby IVF Clinics in Nevada or California, both of which are far more surrogacy-friendly. This guarantees complete legal protections and avoidance of adoption issues for IP’s and surrogates alike.
The Snyders’ level of involvement is the decision of the IP’s. Elisa adds, “We will offer any level of service that our clients desire. It can be as small as a one-time information session, all the way up to a complete contractual assignment where we perform all the administrative work and the IP’s can just concentrate on having the family that they want so badly.”
Arizona Miracles is a private business, and the Snyders do charge for their services. Again, from Bill: “We are looking for this business to support us and our families, I’ll admit. But we are not out to profit from someone else’s struggles. Surrogacy is an absolutely wonderful experience that has brought purpose and happiness back into two shattered lives, and we want to share that experience with anyone else in a similar situation. A person’s sexual orientation, marital status, age or any other factor should be no barrier to their right to be parents and have purpose and joy in their lives.”
Arizona Miracles is ready to help anyone who contacts them because in The Snyders’ words, “Everyone Deserves a Family”.