My Surrogacy Journey – meet our incredible coordination team!
At My Surrogacy Journey we believe a personal approach is key to making everyone feel welcome and included. As much as we aim to give you all the technical information, science based evidence and tools to start and understand your surrogacy journey, sometimes the simplicity of hearing from those who have experienced the process can be just what you need as an intended parent, interested surrogate and/or egg donor or indeed anyone else who may be looking to understand what this pathway to parenthood actually entails.
We caught up with three special people who are intrinsic to My Surrogacy Journey as part of our beloved and dynamic team. Our coordination team each has a unique perspective on how they became involved in My Surrogacy Journey and what it means to them.
Meet Leanne!
“I’m Leanne, I’m the Known Egg Donor & Surrogate Lead for My Surrogacy Journey. A little bit about me, I’m married to Dan and I’m a Mum to two children- Elise & Nyle (one of each- I’m very lucky!). I have also been an egg donor six times. I feel very privileged to have been able to help others create families of their own; it really is the most amazing, rewarding feeling ever. I joined My Surrogacy Journey soon after it was established, and my role here involves looking after lovely ladies who want to donate their eggs or become a surrogate to help others achieve their dream of parenthood.
This is from the beginning right to the end… or post birth as we like to call it, there is never an end to creating life and love, it simply just grows and continues. There is so much variety to the job – speaking with anyone enquiring about surrogacy or egg donation, explaining what is involved and how we support them throughout especially with the incredible membership benefits we provide as they go through their journey – no day is the same for me as no parenting journey is the same.
For those that pass all the criteria and become members, I check in with them regularly to ensure they are ok and to check they have everything they need. We speak either by telephone, video link, WhatsApp or email – whichever method they prefer. My role at MSJ doesn’t feel like a job really, it feels like I’m talking to extended friends I have been lucky enough to meet. Everyone’s journeys are personal and individual, that’s what makes it all so special and I feel privileged that I get to be a part of that.”
Meet Carly!
“I am the Coordination Lead for our UK and Mexico City pathway for My Surrogacy Journey. I started working for MSJ in March 2022. My previous career was in the childcare industry where I helped to manage day nurseries. This is where I first met Mike and Wes when their little girl Talulah was only 10 weeks old. I decided to leave my position in childcare, which is when Mike & Wes mentioned a position at MSJ that they felt I would be perfect for! I felt this is the job I was always destined to do and I find it incredibly fulfilling.
Day to day at MSJ, I support and manage a team of coordinators. I also support our intended parents through their surrogacy journey from onboarding right through to post birth. I am their main point of contact throughout their journey and am with them at every stage, helping and guiding them through when and if they need my support. This role is a pleasure to do, and I feel like I learn something new each day.”
Meet Stevie!
“I am Stevie, and I work alongside the amazing and friendly coordination team. I was offered the opportunity to work for MSJ back in March 2023, and haven’t looked back since! Throughout my career, I have always worked with families & children. This included, children’s nurseries, a fostering agency and also supporting attendance within a college too. I love working with intended parents now, supporting and guiding them to build a family of their own. Infertility & IVF will always have a special place in my heart and I’m so glad I work with a company who is dedicated to those who are in need of this type of support.”
Our coordination team at My Surrogacy Journey each have a passion for helping everyone included in the surrogacy journey and their diverse range of experience and perspective means we can tailor an approach that is suited to the individual.
Michael Johnson-Ellis
Hi everyone, So I’m Mike, guess I’m the crazy one who had the idea to sell our souls to Social Media and open up our world for everyone to comment on and observe our lives. I spend most nights (when not with Talulah and Duke obviously) with my phone glued to my hand, posting, sharing, liking and filming - all in readiness for Facebook, Insta and now YouTube. It’s getting to be a full time job, which is tricky - as I have one of those! For the last 18 years I have worked within Medical Recruitment and have worked in a variety of high pressured Operational and Business Development roles in London and the Midlands. More recently I am working for myself as it gives me greater flexibility with our new family via my Consultancy firm MJE Consultancy Ltd, where I attract and recruit Fertility Nurses, Embryologists and IVF Consultants and other specialist Doctors, as the Fertility Industry is my passion. I’m obviously one half of TwoDads.U.K and very proud of that fact too, and without doubt being a father is and has been the best job I’ve ever had. Nothing prepares you for the impact these little humans have on us, I know if you’re anything like me, the joy of being a parent just keeps on giving (whilst equally testing me too!). Don’t get me wrong, there’s days where I want to sit on the garage floor and drown myself in Gin but on the whole, life is better than it ever has been...
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