Jamie's Journey to Motherhood via Surrogacy

Hi, my name is Patty Griffin, and I am organizing this Go Fund Me campaign with Myra Pieri and Diane Voelker, on behalf of our friend, Dr. Jamie Adler. Anyone who knows Jamie knows that she would never ask this for herself. We have created this campaign in hopes of alleviating the significant financial burden associated with surrogacy, which is now necessary after Jamie went through a physically and emotionally challenging battle with cancer that ultimately required surgical removal of her uterus.

While we hope you'll read and share Jamie's story, we also hope that you'll take the time right now to join us in supporting her surrogacy with a meaningful and greatly appreciated donation.

Dr. Jamie Adler is an Emergency Department Physician, practicing in both urban and community hospital settings in the Boston area. Jamie has dedicated her professional life to caring for others; she is an extremely gifted ER physician with a reputation for being an exceptional diagnostician and she possesses an outstanding ability to perform critical lifesaving procedures in even the direst of situations. She is also known for her singular interpersonal skills as she exhibits empathy with a level of compassion for her patients that is unparalleled. She always goes the extra mile and frequently follows up with her patients and their families after she sees them in the Emergency Department. There are numerous stories from patients whose lives were forever changed for the better because Jamie was their doctor. These powerful and heartwarming stories recently resulted in Jamie being honored during the keynote speech at this year's hospital-wide Gala.

Jamie has always dreamt of having children and began taking steps by freezing her eggs at the end of her residency program. Her dream of becoming a mother was placed on hold after the unexpected death of her beloved Mom, followed by the onset of the pandemic, when she was on the the front lines caring for her patients every day. When her world finally stabilized, and she began undergoing her IVF workup, it was discovered that Jamie had endometrial (uterine) cancer; an extremely uncommon diagnosis in women her age.

Jamie was devastated by this news; however, she was determined to preserve her chance at having children and she underwent aggressive treatment over the next year. She continued to work and care for patients as much as she could while fighting her own private battle with cancer....and Jamie won! She was cleared to proceed with IVF and while planning for embryo transfer, a surveillance biopsy revealed an unexpected return of her cancer. Jamie had to make the heartbreaking decision to undergo surgery and have her uterus removed in order to save her life. Jamie is now cancer-free but has forever lost the opportunity to carry her own child through pregnancy. Having a child will now require surrogacy, a path she had never imagined needing, but with her characteristic way of adapting to all of the challenges life throws her way, she has now fully embraced.

Surrogacy costs are substantial and will cost Jamie more than $200,000 for even a single attempt. Jamie is already managing the financial burden related to her initial IVF costs, her cancer-related expenses, and her loss of income during her cancer treatment and recovery from surgery. Surrogacy expenses are not covered by health insurance and all funds are required to be placed into escrow before she can embark on this journey with a gestational carrier for her own embryos. Surrogacy expenses include clinic fees for the embryo transfer, compensation of the carrier, health insurance and life insurance for the carrier, legal fees, travel expenses, and numerous other medical expenses throughout the pregnancy and delivery.

Today we find ourselves in the position to make a difference for someone who makes a difference to so many within her community, and beyond. We are hoping to raise $150,000 to contribute towards Jamie's total costs of surrogacy. All donations will go directly to surrogacy expenses. Any donation, no matter how large or small, will be extremely appreciated, as it will bring her a step closer to fulfilling her dream of becoming a mother. A dream that is a bittersweet reflection of the incredible mother Jamie was lucky to have had and lost far too soon, but who's legacy will live on in the mother that Jamie will become.

There should never be a price on becoming or being a parent. But, this is a harsh and honest reality and we need your help to ease the journey Jamie is determined to take. After all, she is the bright light in the lives of so many patients and their families, as well as in the lives of her own family and friends. We hope that this campaign provides a way for us to all help the person who has dedicated her life to helping so many others.

Please join us in our support for this incredible individual as she works to build the family she has always wanted and has dreamed of having.