USDCC Vice President of Development Melissa Bornico was honored to once again represent the organization at this year’s Jones Foundation Infertility Counseling Conference (formerly the Jefferson Conference) in Philadelphia. The conference is an opportunity for attendees to “explore cutting-edge medical, legal, ethical, and psychosocial issues and developments in a welcoming, collegial environment designed to not only enhance learning but develop professional connections and community.”
Bornico returned to the conference this year on behalf of USDCC after appearing on last year’s successful panel of all donor conceived speakers, which was moderated by USDCC Vice President of Mental Health Initiatives Joni Mantell.
Referring to last year’s panel, Bornico said she was struck by how many attendees were still talking about it. “Throughout the three days I attended, I was approached by so many people talking about how moved they were by all our stories. One person even said to me that the panel completely changed the way she practices,” she said.
This year’s experience made Bornico reflect on the positive difference such panels will make for future donor conceived people, notwithstanding the serious systemic issues that remain in the fertility industry at large.
“That won’t all be solved with one panel. But I think it does say something remarkable when a group of DCP get up in front of hundreds of strangers to tell their stories in the hope that it will land, then those strangers empathize deeply with what was said and take that information back to intended parents and donors,” Bornico said.
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Top image by Heidi Kaden via Unsplash