Family Match Consulting's founder Stephanie Levich is proud to be the co-founder of the annual fundraiser "Fit 4 Fertility."  She and colleague Wendie Wilson-Miller (founder of Gifted Journeys)  come together every year to raise money for a non-profit organization in the infertility field, in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week.  Last year they were proud to raise money for RESOLVE and this year they were very happy to raise money for Parents Via Egg Donation.  Founded by Marna Gatlin, PVED's mission is to support and educate those considering building their family through egg donation.  

The day was a huge success, and everyone had a blast!  Some highlights included: 

Great work out with trainers Kellie Blackburn from Kelliefit, Theresa Sauter-Hesler, and Jack Witt.  A fabulous performance by the kid's music group the Beat Buds, as well as free chair massages from professional athlete masseuse Michelle Rozzen.  Finally, our special guest GloZell Green was there to motivate everyone through the work out, and of course make us laugh hysterically!   There was an awesome silent auction, and most importantly we got to raise money and bring awareness to such an important cause.  

We want to thank our amazing sponsors for making Fit 4 Fertility possible including Feit 4 Kidz Fertility Fund, Dr. Kolb at Huntington Reproductive Center, Andrea Bryman LMFT, Suja Juice, Raw Revolution Sun-Staches, and all our volunteers.  

Family Match Consulting can't wait to begin planning for Fit 4 Fertility 2017!!!  

Our founder Stephanie Levich had the distinct pleasure of joining several colleagues at an event with Hillary Clinton this month.  It was an event held at the Jim Henson Studio in Los Angeles where children were invited and encouraged to ask Hillary questions.  One little girl about 8 years old asked Clinton how she stays "OK" while on the campaign trail which she graciously answered by describing her sleep routine, attempts at eating healthy, and making it a point to spend time with her grandchild whenever possible.  It was quite the evening, made even more memorable by getting to experience it with such a great team of colleagues.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with and getting to know Jake Anderson, the founder of a new website Fertility IQ.  He and his wife Debra began Fertility IQ after having some not-so-great experiences with fertility doctors and not knowing where to turn for trusted referrals and information.  Fertility IQ is a place for anyone who is going through any stage of the infertility process and undergoing any type of treatment to leave an anonymous and thorough review of their doctor, the doctor's staff, the billing department, and the practice as a whole.  Soon they will be making all the data they compile available to anyone in search of a great fertility doctor. 

As a former infertility patient myself, I went through the review process for my doctor and was impressed with how detailed the questions were.  Jake and Debra clearly thought of everything.  It's apparent that they hope to gather as much data as possible to help others make the most informed decision when finding the right fertility specialist.  Upon completing my review I was asked to send them any proof that I was in fact a patient of my doctor.  A bill, email correspondence with a nurse, etc...anything to legitimatize my review.  Where else can infertility patients turn for honest feedback that has actually been verified?   As a professional in the field, I'm excited that my clients will soon have access to this information and from a personal standpoint, I was happy to have a place to share my own experience in hopes of helping others.  I hope everyone will take the time to share information about their own experiences.  Their tagline is "we're smarter together" and I couldn't agree more.  Infertility is hard enough.  Together we can help guide each other to make the best decisions about our care.

Visit Fertility IQ here:  http://fertilityiq.com/

Love and baby dust to all!!!

There are new egg donor and surrogate agencies opening constantly.  How do you go about selecting the right agency to work with?  How do you know who you can trust? Read our founder's blog post explaining the top 10 questions to ask and things to consider when choosing an egg donation or a surrogacy agency:

https://www.fertilityauthority.com/blog/stephanie-levich/2015/11/20/ten-tips-choosing-right-egg-donor-or-surrogate-agency

Family Match Consulting was proud to attend the Feit 4 Kidz 3rd Annual SOLD OUT Gala at the W Hotel in Hollywood on Saturday night.  The Feit 4 Kidz Fertility Fund provides interest free loans of up to $15,000 to Jewish couples undergoing fertility treatments. The fund was made possible by the Jewish Free Loan Association (JFLA) and a generous donation from Emily and Alan Feit.  Emily and Alan continues to generously donate their time, efforts, and money to make Feit 4 Kidz a possibility. 

The night opened with a beautiful and touching speech made by Emily Dubin Field and her husband Gregg Field about their long journey going through infertility which ended with the birth of their daughter earlier this year, thanks to the help of their gestational surrogate.  Emily and Gregg are just one of the many couples that the Feit 4 Kidz Fertility Fund has been able to help. In fact, since its inception, Fiet 4 Kidz has loaned out $874,000 to 52 different families and so far, 7 babies have been born with their assistance.

They hoped to raise $50,000 at the event but quickly raised the goal to $60,000 due to all the generous contributions that came pouring in.  Emily and Alan announced that they would personally match whatever was raised and Alan's parents generously agreed to do the same. There was an impressive silent auction and comedian Jodi Miller from America's Got Talent performed a hilarious stand up routine about fertility.  Attendees were loan recipients, those who fought and won the infertility battle, those still struggling, reproductive endocrinologists, surrogacy agencies, egg donor agencies, and many who have seen family members or friends struggle with infertility.  So many people came together for different reasons to help raise money for this amazing cause.

Feit 4 Kidz made a very exciting announcement just days before the fundraiser.  Starting January 2016, they will be offering loans for fertility treatments to ALL faiths!  As they said in their announcement, "Infertility does not discriminate; neither do we." 

Learn more about Feit 4 Kidz and the JFLA here: www.jfla.org

New blog written by our Founder, Stephanie Levich explaining the significance of an egg donor's location.

https://www.fertilityauthority.com/blog/stephanie-levich/2015/7/24/egg-donor-location-does-it-matter 

Family Match Consulting is proud to have partnered with Gifted Journey's Egg Donor and Surrogate Agency to sponsor our "Fit 4 Fertility" boot camp fundraiser benefiting RESOLVE - The National Infertility Association.  RESOLVE offers guidance and support for those that have struggled or are struggling with infertility.  

On Saturday April 25, in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, 50 people gathered at Warner Center Park in Woodland Hills to get fit for a cause!  We raised over $2,000!  And we shared our experiences to offer hope and to remind each other, that even through our darkest times, we are not alone.  Here's a slideshow highlighting the event: 

1 in 8 couples of childbearing age will be diagnosed with infertility. If you haven't personally been affected by infertility, there's a good chance someone you know has. In honor of National Infertility Awareness Week, please join Family Match Consulting and Gifted Journey's Egg Donation and Surrogacy Agency on Saturday April 25th at Warner Center Park in Woodland Hills, CA at 9am to get "Fit 4 Fertility", a boot camp benefiting RESOLVE - National Infertility Association. 

Warner Center Park is located at:
5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd
Woodland Hills, CA 91367

And if boot camp isn't your thing, that's OK!  All are welcome whether you are working out, or just hanging out!   We especially encourage those who have struggled with infertility to bring your children as we plan to take fun photos with messages of hope for those that are still struggling. 

Your $15 donation will be your ticket to the event.  Donate $25 and receive 3 raffle tickets!  Donate $50 and receive 10 raffle tickets!  Raffle tickets can also be purchased the day of the event for $5 each. 

Prizes include:

1.  Lululemon merchandise

2.  Personal training sessions with published fitness author Theresa Sauter

3.  Haircut and blow-dry by Erin Kelpetar with Claudio Marino Salon in Woodland Hills

4.  Family meal from Dickey's BBQ Pit in Woodland Hills

4.  Gift basket from Cleopatra's Choice hair and skin care

5.  Jewelry from DOGEARED - (available at Nordstrom)

6.  Party pack of Sun-Staches, featured on ABC's hit show Shark Tank

All attendees will receive a free swag bag as a thank you for attending!

If you would like to volunteer at the event or help in any way, please contact Stephanie Levich at 818-495-0203 or email stephanie@familymatchconsulting.com. 

All proceeds will benefit RESOLVE - the National Infertility Association.  Learn more about RESOLVE here:  http://www.resolve.org/

Visit event page here for details on attending:  https://www.crowdrise.com/fit4fertility