Interview with Cathie Sanchez May 2023
Interviewer: Good morning Cathie, I’m told you are one of the leading consultants for egg donation in seAsia. Can we begin with you providing insight into your experiences leading up to the present day.
Cathie: Well, my journey began when I become involved with egg donation and other fertility services as a patient. I had six unsuccessful cycles using donor eggs and was quite despondent about my chances of becoming a mother but on the 7th cycle, after identifying the problems that were hindering my pregnancies, I was successful and now have a beautiful teenage daughter.
Interviewer: That must have been very difficult for you having so many unsuccessful tries, plus I imagine some financial strain.
Cathie: yes, it was difficult and sad. Which is why I have empathy with other women who are experiencing what I went through. This was a prime reason why I started a service assisting women who needed to use an egg donor.
Interviewer: And that was back in 2007?
Cathie: Yes, the doctor I was being treated by learnt about my background as a Nurse in Australia and my work as a therapist working with couples who had fertility issues. He asked myself and my husband, to assist him to establish an international egg donor service for couples in other countries. That doctor is now one of the leading IVF specialists in Thailand. My husband Richard had supported me through the many treatments and interventions, so that, combined with my medical background, gave me the direct experience needed to support others
Interviewer: Where did the patients come from?
Cathie: From many countries but mostly from Australia, the US and Europe. Australians are familiar with Thailand and they felt comfortable there.
Interviewer: And you are now based in Penang?
Cathie: Yes, we have been in Penang for 11-years and have helped many couples to come here and have their babies. Penang is a beautiful Island and our partner hospital is one of the leading and most advanced private hospitals in South East Asia. It has all modern facilities and equipment you would expect from a top tier specialist hospital. As a team we work directly with the IVF Specialist and embryology. We do not just refer couples to the hospital and then step back as agents do. We offer more than that. For example, we have helped develop strategies to increase donor egg retrieval rates and endometrium preparation for receiving mother. We support the Intended parents right through the process. It will sound like a cliche but we care about individuals, how they feel and what they need to go through their journey
Interviewer: What services do you offer nowadays? I’m sure you have seen many changes since 2007.
Cathie: Yes, the science has improved tremendously- especially for egg donation and egg freezing, which is quite routine now. There are still legal restrictions in some countries and moving eggs internationally can sometimes be problematic but we have a very experienced IVF courier who manages all export and import documents. We have a solid relationship with one clinic in Sydney where we send frozen eggs regularly. This allows people from all over Australia to get support to prepare in their home state and then go to Sydney to do their treatment. Egg donation is our focus and we built on it by establishing our own Chinese donor egg bank during Covid, to overcome the personal travel restrictions. That has been very successful. We offer a range of lovely donors who have eggs in our donor bank that can and have helped many people to start their family
Interviewer: So did Covid affect you? It must have been difficult for your patients.
Cathie: It did affect us but we were able to help couples continue creating their families by sending eggs regularly to Australia and Singapore throughout the pandemic. We also transported embryos to other countries so we were still kept busy.
Now that the borders are open, we are welcoming people back to Penang to do either fresh or frozen embryo transfer, using fresh or frozen eggs. Being able to help international couples and singles in our partner hospital again is so satisfying
Interviewer: You mentioned your focus is Egg Donation but you also offer Surrogacy?
Cathie: Yes, surrogacy has opened again and we are able to offer excellent programs for as little as US$34,000. We also have associates in the US, plus South America, which has become one of the thriving new centres for surrogacy. But currently most of our couples are from seAsia and Australia so a service closer to home is much more favourable. We have worked with the SE Asian Agents who look after the surrogates for 15 years so have a strong and direct relationship with them. We help to support where necessary throughout the surrogacy process. My concern is helping people to not feel isolated and lonely in during the process.
Interviewer: So, what would attribute your success to? I have heard many good things about your services.
Cathie: We work hard to understand our patients and their needs. Egg donation is not a production line with sperm collection one end and a baby appearing at the other. We also provide detailed test results for our donors and have their genetic tests performed in the USA. Our Group was also the first, and I think only, donor service in seAsia to have gained accreditation with Health Canada. In essence we just work really hard to keep each of the many people involved happy. It is an extremely complex system to help make a baby. Mother, father, Doctors, embryology teams and labs in a number of countries, 3 or 4 different groups all helping people to fulfil their dream
Interviewer: So, is there anything you would like to add for readers, in closing?
Cathie: Yes, never give up. There is always a solution. For many it is egg donation, for others it is surrogacy, or a combination of the two. Overall, I had 6 unsuccessful attempts with donor eggs and I wish there had been someone like me there to advise and help me at the time. Maybe I can go Back to the Future! Or maybe I just keep helping people in the present.
Interviewer: Thank you Cathie.
