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Cryopreserved Donor Embryo Extend Storage Program (ESP)
Introduction:
Embryo Donation International’s (EDI’s) primary goal is to build families using donated embryos. There are instances where patients/couples have been successful through EDI and return, hoping to have another child from the same embryo donors. EDI’s cryopreserved donor embryo Extended Storage Program (ESP) may help to make this happen.
The ESP allows an embryo recipient to reserve cryopreserved embryos from the original embryo donor. EDI understands that recipients would like their children to be genetically linked. EDI came up with the ESP to build genetically related families.
When Can I Start The ESP?
Any successful EDI patient may contact EDI within 12 months of their first positive blood pregnancy test to sign up for the program. We encourage all interested patients to apply to the program within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy before anyone else reserves their desired embryos. Patients who call after the 12-month deadline will not be able to participate in the ESP.
How Many Embryos Will be Reserved?
EDI will look at the number of embryos used to create your successful pregnancy. The program will allow you to reserve up to twice as many embryos as it took for your successful conception from that particular embryo donor. If donor embryos are already allocated to others, these will not be included in the ESP. No more than six embryos may be reserved at any given time.
| Number of Embryos Used to Achieve Pregnancy Success |
Clinical Examples |
Maximum Number of Embryos Reserved via the ESP |
| 1 |
1/1 transferred and successful |
2 |
| 2 |
2 transferred with one pregnancy
(singleton or twin) |
4 |
| 3 |
1 transferred with pregnancy loss
2 transferred with successful pregnancy |
6 |
| 4 |
2 warmed, 1 survived and no pregnancy.
2 transferred with successful pregnancy |
6 |
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Do I/We Choose Which Embryos We Get to Reserve?
EDI will make the decision which embryos will be reserved. It is difficult for patients to fully understand some of the methods EDI uses to grade donated embryos. Our goal would be to give you excellent embryos that will be successful.
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How Long Will the Embryos be Stored?
From the date of entering the ESP, you may store the reserved donated embryos for no more than three (3) years. After three years, you may reapply to the program for an additional three years. No embryos may be reserved beyond six years.
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Will I/We Always be Accepted Into the ESP?
There may be extenuating circumstances wherein EDI will not allow the donated embryos to be reserved. For example, suppose too many patients reserve embryos and EDI cannot care for other patients because of a lack of available embryos. In that case, EDI may decide to stop additional reservations temporarily. EDI reserves the right to decline any patient access to the ESP as the needs of all patients must be balanced.
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What Are the Overall Fees?
A non-refundable Administrative Fee for the ESP will be $1,000, separate from the current annual storage fee of $600. Therefore, reserving the embryos and the first year of storage will cost $1,600.
The annual storage fees are to be paid within 30 days of billing. Automated billing will be set up if possible. If the bill is not paid within 30 days, the embryos will be unreserved, and the appropriate penalty billed (see below). The annual storage fees are likely to increase slowly over time. These fees will not be prorated.
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May I/We Change Our Minds?
If you participate in the ESP, EDI wants you to follow through and use the reserved donated embryos. A penalty will increase yearly if you decide not to use the donated embryos and cancel the ESP.
| Duration of Storage Prior to ESP Cancellation |
ESP Cancellation Penalty |
| Stored for < 1 year |
$1,000 |
| Stored between 1 to < 2 years |
$2,000 |
| Stored between 2 to < 3 years |
$3,000 |
Suppose the donated embryos are stored for an extended time, and the patient(s) change their mind. In that case, another family could have already raised their donor-conceived offspring while the embryos were in extended storage. We ask that the patients not change their minds.
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May I/We Sign up For the ESP More Than Once?
Each time you successfully conceive with donated embryos, you will be eligible for the ESP. If you have more time left having already paid the storage fee for that year, you will not be billed again until the year lapses. All other charges will be levied with each ESP agreement.
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Can the Embryo Donor(s) Cancel my ESP?
It is understood that the embryos remain the property of the donors until the point of transfer into the recipient. While it is an infrequent event (estimated 1-2%), a donor may ask for any remaining embryos to be returned to them. While we make every effort to accept embryos from donors who no longer want to use them for themselves, we cannot guarantee that the embryos may be returned to the donor(s). If this happens, any monies spent thus far in the ESP would be put towards another frozen donor embryo transfer procedure, and no penalty will be levied.
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Conclusions:
While EDI is not in the business of storing donated embryos for extended periods of time, we understand the desire of many of our successful patients to have genetically related children. The ESP is a unique program designed to do just that.
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