Published by: Your Pregnancy
Last Updated: 16 January 2009
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There are women out there, who care so much about their fellow human beings, they would give up their eggs for them. Find out all about Nurture, South Africa’s egg donor programme, that has given the gift of life to those infertile couples who long for it the most

Nurture, South Africa’s Egg Donor and Surrogacy Programme, is the creation of two remarkable women who have suffered infertility first hand and been “best friends forever” – Melany Bartok as an egg donor and Tertia Albertyn as an infertility patient who went through nine IVFs to achieve her dream, a beautiful set of twins. In a nutshell, it is a South African company, based in South Africa, owned by South Africans using South African donors and surrogates. It has now been going for six months, and has way exceeded any expectations that Tertia and Mel ever had. So what’s the secret to its success?

Up until a year ago, there was only one woman, an American woman, who had an egg donor programme. But she charged a fortune for it. “She charges $4 500 and was catering for overseas people with lots of money. Our local rate is only R12 000, so together, we have made it more affordable,” says Tertia. (Taking into account the IVF procedure, the entire procedure will cost you about R55 000.)

“There was such a need for a local player to come onto the scene. More so, there was also a need for those who really understand infertility to run a programme,” she adds. “And there’s no doubt about it. We are passionate about what we do.”

So how does it work?
First of all, Mel has to find Nurture’s egg donors. She does this by advertising in various forums and via word of mouth. Prospective donors can then apply online (www.nurture.co.za), and there is an initial application process that they have to go through. For example, they have to be between the ages of 21 and 34. They have to have a regular cycle and they have to have the right BMI. Once the initial applications have been submitted anonymously, Mel, who has been an egg donor herself and therefore understands this part of the business, screens them.

“After Mel has seen (and okayed) their initial application, she sends them the full application which comprises a five-page form with questions relating to their medical history, a personality profile and other relevant genetic information. We then have a look at that again and check if there are any concerning medical issues.”

Then what?
Once the donor’s full application has been approved, she is interviewed face-to-face. During this interview, Mel goes through the entire process with the donor, explaining to her how it works and what the risks associated with the procedure are.
“It is important that when the donors get to the point of donating, they understand completely what they’re in for,” says Tertia. “They need to understand that donating their eggs is going to be an operation, and that with any operation there are going to be risks. They need to know that their eggs will be removed via vaginal aspiration, and that they will be placed under conscious sedation – the same procedure as IVF. They also need to sign a consent form that states that they will have no rights over a future child that might be born from the donation.”

On board
Once a donor has been approved, Nurture gives her a pseudonym and places a mini donor profile plus her toddler pics online. If you go to www.nurture.co.za and look under donor profiles you can view the profiles, but you need to contact Tertia first to get the password. Once a recipient has access to the mini donor profiles, she can look for things like the donor’s height, weight, eye colour, and complexion. “Most of the time, recipients are looking for a physical match for the wife,” says Tertia.

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