President’s
Photo by Lisa Minnini
MESSAGE
Jocelyn Smith
ecember is a time for giving. Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or another traditional holiday, this is when you think of making people around you happy.
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This year, I ask you to be generous towards IAAC. With infertility on the rise and financial resources becoming scarce, we have been doing some soul-searching about how we can best serve the infertile community in Canada. It became obvious that our top priority should be advocacy aimed at getting funding for fertility treatment for all Canadians who need it. An ongoing dream has been to set up a sponsorhip program to help those most in need of financial assistance for treatment. We think it is high time we get on to it. We want to expand our support help line, offer more information on our website, increase the presence of our support groups and extend them to those who experience grief through miscarriage or want to explore options such as adoption or child-free living. In response to the growing popularity of online and mobile content and the ability to reach a broader audience through this medium, we have decided to take Creating Families online. Starting with the current issue, the publication will be available through our website as a flip book and also
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Créons des familles • WINTER/HIVER 2013-14
to mobile readers on their smart phones and tablets. We will be distributing promotional bookmarks to waiting rooms, at conferences, and other events to publicize this important fertility resource and also leveraging online ads to drive a broader readership for Creating Families. This new medium will empower us to deliver more dynamic content (video, advertisements, etc.) which will be more engaging for our readers. In tandem, we will also be deploying a survey to obtain feedback from our loyal readers on what is most valued in the publication, what could be improved and what may no longer be required. We look forward to your input as always. On behalf of IAAC I wish to extend our warmest thanks to all the dedicated individuals who contributed to the success of several recent fundraising events: sponsors, donors, volunteers and participants. The Family Matters Challenge was held in Victoria, BC on Sept 27th. In Alberta, Lenore Tochor and her team participated in the Great Canadian Death Race; and when Alison and Sean Raynor threw a party to celebrate their new home, they encouraged their guests to give a donation to IAAC in lieu of a gift. Please have a look at the News & Events section on our website for photos and videos of these events! (www.iaac.ca) Might you have an idea for a fund-raising activity? Be creative, have fun and don’t be shy - contact us by phone or email at info@iaac.ca. We will be delighted to discuss it with you. As you can imagine, we are thrilled to be offering the magazine online. We are also very pleased with the contents of this issue. Starting with the cover. We felt it was time to have two women in love on our cover, especially considering the thoughtful column Rachel Epstein has contributed. It is my hope that all patient care professionals read this article about LBQ women. Dr. Patricia Monnier’s article will help many women understand what goes
on when they receive the diagnosis of primary ovarian insufficiency, as well as when and how they should be treated. It is surprising how many women – and men – with fertility problems still do not get diagnosed properly or in a timely manner. Many of us are not well informed either about what is involved in egg donation. I am very grateful to Michelle Flowerday for explaining the ins and outs of this option which an increasing number of women are turning to. The moving story related by Vince Londini, “Not My Genes, Definitely My Kids”, is a lesson in generosity and wisdom. Naturopath Tracy Malone offers a fascinating article on CoQ10. Patient’s Perspective will make you smile, and hopefully bring understanding to people who still say inappropriate things to infertile individuals. I want to thank Katia Petitclerc, whose illuminating piece tells us what a doula can do for a couple hoping to have a baby, and our dear friend Sue Dumais, who makes it so clear why yoga can help women deal with their difficulty conceiving. I hope you enjoy reading these thought-provoking articles. I encourage you to share the link to this magazine with your family and friends. Why not make a donation on their behalf in lieu of a gift? (www.iaac.ca/en/charitable-donations) Please spread the word! IAAC is a registered charity and our success is directly linked to the generosity of sponsors and donors. I wish you a happy, healthy, heartwarming and gratifying holiday season!!!
Jocelyn Smith