SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) – Eight-month-old Santino Stavrikikis is impossibly cute. But the story of how he came to be is extraordinary.

Santino’s dad, 50-year-old Dino Stavrikikis runs a popular pizza parlor on Fillmore Street in San Francisco. He’s a confirmed bachelor with no plans to marry.

But he really wanted a son

So Stavrikikis looked for parenthood in a Petri dish. He would need two women, one for her eggs, and the other to carry his baby.

“The hard part was at the beginning, I wasn’t that internet savvy. But once I got a grip on it I was so determined,” Stavrikikis said.

It’s a complex way to make a baby, but it’s happening more often than in the past. Success rates are way up.

“Pregnancy rates have gone from 5–10 percent to now maybe 60-70 percent,” said Dr. Carl Herbert of the Pacific Fertility Center.

The key to success is a good egg.

Stavrikikis used ‘The Donor Source’ to find an egg. It’s a service that screens and lists women who will give up eggs for a fee.

For Stavrikikis, it wasn’t easy an easy pick.

“They could be pretty, but they could be crazy too. I’m already crazy. I don’t need another crazy one running around. I asked her questions – her sleep patterns, what she liked as a baby. I was shooting for the happiest and healthiest kid,” said Stavrikikis.

Read more here: “>http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/11/16/san-francisco-man-takes-extraordinary-steps-to-have-son/

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How would the equation change if your parents were willing to foot part or all of the bill for the procedure?
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The award recognizes Scott’s contributions to the Bonei Olam mission and his significant achievements in reproductive medicine. Bonei Olam is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to helping Jewish couples overcome the challenges of infertility. The award was presented at Bonei Olam’s Annual Boro Park Dinner on May 6, 2012

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120509/NY04206 )

“The Medical Achievement Award demonstrates our appreciation for Dr. Scott and his entire team at RMANJ and RMA Genetics. Bonei Olam has a close working relationship with RMANJ, and we have many patients in New Jersey who utilize their services,” said Chaim Jalas, Director of Genetics Resources & Co-Director Patient Services. “RMANJ’s cutting edge work has advanced the science in the field of reproductive medicine and helped to advance the cause of Bonei Olam.”

“I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the entire RMANJ team. Like Bonei Olam, we are dedicated to helping couples achieve their dream of parenthood,” said Dr. Scott. “In addition to having among the highest IVF success rates in the country, the team at RMANJ is keenly aware that everyone’s pathway to parenthood is unique and we work hard to address each patient’s particular needs.”

Added Dr. Eli Rybak from RMANJ’s Englewood office, “The team at RMANJ is sensitive to the many different cultural and religious needs of our patients and makes every accommodation possible to ensure that they are met. Specifically, we offer on-site Hashgacha upon request, and our physicians are eager and always available to speak with Rabbonim and Dayonim in the community to assure world-class treatment that is also rigorously Al Pi Halacha.”

About Bonei Olam Bonei Olam is an international organization dedicated to helping couples overcome the challenge of infertility. Bonei Olam is one of the leading agencies providing referrals for infertility related issues. Bonei Olam has built a rapport with the leading doctors and centers providing their clients the latest advances in diagnosis and treatment.

About Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey have pioneered and successfully implemented a cutting-edge technology, known as Comprehensive Chromosome Screening (CCS) to more accurately detect healthy embryos that will lead to successful pregnancies and ultimately healthy babies. Other centers have attempted similar testing methods, but RMANJ is the only fertility center in the world to have developed a system of unprecedented accuracy, fully validated through years of rigorous clinical research. RMANJ’s Comprehensive Chromosome Screening offers advanced embryo selection with extreme accuracy by detecting and avoiding use of embryos with chromosomal abnormalities prior to transfer and pregnancy.

The fertility experts at RMANJ have among the highest IVF success rates in the country. Since 1999, they have helped bring more than 20,000 babies to loving families. In addition to serving as the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical School in New Brunswick, NJ, the practice has six locations in New Jersey. For more information please call RMANJ at 973-656-2089, or visit www.rmanj.com.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/​09/4478191/​dr-richard-scott-of-rmanj-recei​ves.html#storylink=cpy

“Mother’s Day can be a double whammy,” says Andrea Mechanick Braverman, Ph.D., a Pennsylvania health psychologist who specializes in infertility counseling. “Another anniversary of a year gone by without a baby — and a holiday that specifically excludes you”

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It all began in 2002, when she and her family were living in Indianapolis. She says she was reading the Sunday newspaper and spotted an ad for ovum donors. She had never heard about it. She was curious.
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TTC may well be the new OMG for life as a young woman with motherhood on her mind. TTC, in Internet-speak, means “trying to conceive.” Being labeled “infertile” or discovering a partner’s infertility is changing the life plans of many in their late 20s and early 30s.
“I wanted to have three children by now,” says Lindsay Coser, 28, of St. Peters, Mo. “It’s been very devastating because this is out of my control.

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The recent success of Fertility SOURCE Companies (FSC), one of the largest egg donor and surrogacy agencies in the United States, is attributed to their high quality services, dedicated staff and new business development strategies.

“The staff at FSC genuinely care about what they do. They don’t view their jobs as just work. Every staff member has a personal story in their past that makes them passionate about helping intended parents realize their dream of parenthood.” – Susan Bloom, Director of Marketing and Donor Recruitment

The staff of Fertility SOURCE Companies has been instrumental to the company’s outstanding growth, providing intended parents, donors and surrogates with exceptional service. Donor and surrogate case managers are located throughout the country in the area of the fertility centers they are servicing. They work closely with those fertility centers in order to provide recipient parents with the most attentive care possible.

“All of our surrogate case managers are uniquely sensitive to the needs of the intended parents they work with, having had personal experience with surrogacy themselves.” – Tricia Turner, Manager of Surrogacy Case Management

“Our donor case managers possess a unique blend of responsibility and compassion that allows trust from the recipient couples they work with.” – Donna Raidy, Director of Donor Case Management

At FSC, recipient parents have access to one of the largest online interactive databases in the country with over 1450 egg donors and 25 surrogate mother candidates from a variety of backgrounds. All potential donors and surrogates must complete a rigorous screening process, which only yields a 2% pass rate. The stringent standards result in an exceptional pool of candidates. The focus on high quality donors and surrogates versus high quantity, has earned Fertility SOURCE Companies trust and respect within the fertility community.

“FSC has cultivated a dominant position on the web in terms of search engine presence and social media marketing, through both internal initiatives and the help of trusted provider IV Interactive.” – Susan Bloom, Director of Marketing and Donor Recruitment

“Our outstanding performance in March is a reflection of the strong support we enjoy in the fertility world for both our egg donation and surrogacy divisions. Our people, organization, systems, and surrogate and egg donor databases are all responsible for the commanding position we enjoy among third party reproduction agencies. We appreciate the support given to us by the fertility world and intend to continue to give back superior service to their patients.” – Steve Masler, CEO.