Over the past several years, I have invested deeply — emotionally, physically, and financially — in trying to become a parent. After extensive research and significant personal sacrifice, we pursued donor egg IVF treatment abroad, hoping for a fresh start and a real chance at building a family. I went into premature menopause and I was told that the only way to become a parent was to use a donor egg.

Initially, we wanted to contract directly with the hospital however, we were informed that we were required to use their intermediary. We paid approximately €6900 for what we understood to be a fresh donor egg IVF program. We arranged international travel, accommodations, medical preparation, and treatment logistics based on that understanding.

We had paid higher fees for donor compensation, medications, anesthesia and synchronization. After we had already travelled, made full payment for the donor program and treatment arrangements were underway, we were informed that the process would now proceed as a frozen donor egg cycle instead. Because we had already committed financially, travelled internationally, and had critical treatment steps already in motion, we felt we had little practical ability to stop the process at that stage.

Since then, I have struggled to obtain meaningful clarification regarding the differences between the treatment originally discussed and the treatment ultimately provided, including the financial implications of those changes. Despite repeated efforts to seek answers and resolution, we have been left carrying the emotional and financial burden of the experience.

Another deeply distressing aspect of my experience involved concerns regarding donor selection, documentation, and informed consent. The donor characteristics I believed I had selected during the process appeared materially different from the donor information later associated with the documentation I received.

The embryo logs appeared to indicate that the oocytes used in the procedure were frozen and originated from my own ovaries. This was deeply confusing and distressing to me, as I never underwent any oocyte retrieval procedure. I am in full menopause and unable to use my own eggs, which is the reason I pursued donor egg IVF treatment in the first place.

The donor profiles initially presented to me through the Ukrainian donor program reflected specific physical and personal characteristics that were important to me in making reproductive decisions. Based on the information provided to me at the time, I understood that the donor eggs were to come from a fresh Ukrainian donor cycle in 2025.

However, later documentation referenced a Bulgarian Unique Identification Number (UIN), which appeared to indicate that the donor retrieval had involved a Bulgarian woman in 2023 rather than through the Ukrainian donor I believed I had selected from. I was also informed by the intermediary representative in early 2025, they did not have any donors who matched myself. This is why I was provided the Ukrainian donor profiles as they did resemble my phenotype. This raised serious concerns for me regarding whether the donor source, timing, and phenotype characteristics aligned with the donor selection process and representations originally presented to me.

These concerns became especially difficult because this information was not made available to me prior to the creation of the embryos and subsequent embryo transfer. By that stage, treatment had already proceeded and I had undergone significant medical preparation, including taking medications intended to support implantation and embryo development.

The emotional impact of these discrepancies has been profound. As a result of this experience, I have been experiencing significant difficulty participating in gynecological examinations and related medical procedures. For intended parents, donor selection is an intensely personal and meaningful process involving trust, informed consent, identity considerations, and deeply emotional decisions regarding future family building.

We are creating this fundraiser to help recover:

1. the IVF treatment costs;
2. international travel and accommodation expenses;
3. document and translation expenses;
4. legal and regulatory consultation costs
5. trauma counselling and emotional support related to the experience

This situation has affected me deeply. Fertility treatment is not simply a medical expense — it involves hope, vulnerability, trust, and enormous personal sacrifice. In addition to the treatment fees themselves, we incurred substantial travel expenses, accommodation costs, lost work time, and ongoing financial strain.

I understand that medical situations can be complex, and we are not asking anyone to take sides. We simply hope to share our experience honestly and ask for support while we try to rebuild financially and continue seeking clarity regarding my treatment.

Any contribution — no matter how small — or even sharing this page would mean more to me than I can express.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for supporting me during an incredibly difficult chapter of my life.

Embryology Report

https://www.sofiafertilityreviews.com/embryology-report.html

Fresh and Frozen Donor Eggs

https://www.sofiafertilityreviews.com/medspa-and-nadezhda-hospital.html

Unnecessary gynecological surgery that left me with permanent nerve damage

https://www.sofiafertilityreviews.com/gynecological-surgery.html