Our Second Year at CampOut Family Camp


By Frank Golden

It’s official: I love camp. Last year, Adam and I took our family to CampOut Family Camp, a camp for LGBTQ Families. We had the time of our lives, and decided to do it all over again this year. It was the same amazing experience: the activities, the counselors, the campfires, the joy. This time, however, we were amongst familiar faces, faces we saw last year, faces we have gotten to know. Attending an LGBTQ camp is enough to make you feel like part of a community, but this year, we were part of the CampOut community, and we were honored to be included.

CampOut Family Camp is a summer camp experience for LGBTQ Families. This year, CampOut took place from August 17th- August 20th. During the rest of the summer, the camp grounds are used to accommodate hundreds of children in an overnight camp program lasting two, four, or eight weeks. My husband, Adam attended the camp for eight years when he was child. For Adam, attending CampOut was a mix of new experiences and nostalgia. He remembered the camp grounds and the fun he had, and now as an adult and as a gay man, he got the opportunity to experience the same fun with his family.

Last year, our first year at CampOut, the entire experience was a whirlwind. I was overwhelmed with the idea of being surrounded by other LGBTQ Families. I was enthralled with the idea of attending camp for the very first time – as a child, I never went to camp. I was excited, overjoyed, and anxious to get familiar with the camp experience. This year, I returned to camp as an experience camper; I was prepared for the entire camp experience, and as a result, I was able to savor every activity, every moment. I am not an outdoorsy person. You won’t find me “roughing it” in the woods. You won’t find me hunting, fishing, or hiking on a regular basis. However, for one weekend a year, I transform into a person who loves it all. I love the water activities, the crafts, the campfires. I love the dirt, the sweat, and the smell of nature. Read more

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Our Second Year at CampOut Family Camp – Episode 21

Golden Gossip

CampOut is an overnight camp for LGBT families, hosted by the Lake of the Woods & Greenwoods Camp located in Decatur, Michigan. CampOut experienced its third year of family fun August 17th-20th. Frank and Adam Golden, founders of Golden Surrogacy, took their children to CampOut for a their second year and came back with plenty of stories to share! In this episode of Golden Gossip, Frank and Adam discuss camp activities, meeting other gay families, and their children’s perspectives of this amazing family building event.

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Fertility Centers of Illinois: Nurse’s Perspective – Episode 7

Kelly Del Valle, of Fertility Centers of Illinois, pays Golden Surrogacy a visit to discuss her role as a Third Party Reproduction Coordinator. In this segment of Golden Gossip, Kelly offers advice to Surrogates and Intended Parents. She addresses infertility struggles, IVF treatment options, and the best parts of her job in this very special family building industry. Golden Surrogacy is proud to be a valued resource to the Fertility Centers of Illinois Collaborative Reproduction team!

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I’m a Golden Surrogate – Episode 5

Frank and Golden Surrogate, Bridget

The truth behind being a Surrogate. Media’s depiction of Surrogacy is not indicative of what Surrogacy actually is. Two-time Golden Surrogate/Gestational Carrier tells us what Surrogacy is really like. In this episode of Golden Gossip, Bridget shares personal details about her Surrogacy Journeys, In Vitro Fertilization, pregnancy, and what else to expect throughout the process.

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IVF Clinic Referrals

By: Frank Golden

At Golden Surrogacy, we work with only the best IVF clinics in each region. There are key elements we strongly consider before making a referral. When our clients come to us asking which IVF clinic they should use, we try to guide them towards the best option for their specific journey and requirements.

One main factor we determine prior to a referral would be, who is the lead RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist)? We prefer to work with clinics whose lead fertility specialist is known in the surrogacy community for having great statistics, service, and support. Although, the statistical information is taken with a grain of salt, often times success can rest heavily on the quality of genetic material used to create the embryo. We place more value on how each doctor takes care of their patients. During this exciting, yet nerve-racking life experience it is vitally important that the medical team demonstrate a sense of genuine compassion and warmth.

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Five-year Anniversary of Embryo Transfer

This past weekend, Frank and Adam celebrated the five-year anniversary (02/11/2012) of  their very first life-changing embryo transfer. There are no words to express how grateful they are to the Surrogate and Egg Donor who helped bring their beautiful daughter Sophia into this world! 

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The Cost of Making a Baby – Episode 4

Golden Gossip

The costs associated with Surrogacy vary and can accrue unexpectedly. Frank breaks down the cost of a surrogacy journey for Intended Parents. Many potential Intended Parents are unaware of the true costs of Surrogacy. In this episode of Golden Gossip, Frank explains all of the possible costs of Surrogacy including IVF costs, Reproductive Lawyer fees, Surrogate compensation, agency fees, and more.

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Evolving Surrogate Base Compensation

By: Frank Golden

With the first successful gestational surrogate pregnancy, having been roughly 30 years ago, surrogacy as a family building method remains a relatively new concept in the medical field. Regardless of this fact, the demand is quite large. About 750 babies are born each year using gestational surrogacy. As I mentioned in my last podcast, our Intended Parent inquiries have been through the roof and we have onboarded quite a few Intended Parents since the new year. We are given the privileged task of recruiting the perfect Surrogate for them, but also trusted to ensure the Surrogate’s compensation is fair and reasonable for all parties in an arrangement.

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The Surrogate Standard – Episode 3

Golden Gossip

There are strict requirements for potential Surrogates. Surrogacy Agencies have the responsibility to properly screen all of their potential Surrogates before matching them with Intended Parents. In this episode of Golden Gossip, Frank discusses Surrogate requirements with two of his Surrogate Coordinators. As Surrogate Coordinators, Maia and Chelsea are heavily involved with the Surrogate on-boarding process. They discuss Surrogate medical requirements, psychological requirements, and lifestyle requirements in this fascinating podcast session.

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Surrogate Medical Records and Chain of Custody

By: Frank Golden

Throughout my years operating Golden Surrogacy, I have noticed many agencies, big and small, having surrogate applicants request their own medical records. There are so many red flags that go off in my head when contemplating these actions. This method is often chosen because it can reduce the agency’s case load and is more expedient during the on-boarding phase. However, I must caution, going this route does create the potential for fraud to occur.

I have witnessed situations where surrogate applicants will apply and send us their medical records they already have on file. In some cases, applicants have even omitted very crucial pieces of information. At Golden Surrogacy, we always conduct our due diligence and collect all medical records ourselves, even if the applicant sends us past records. If agencies collect records directly from the applicant, it is possible that their records may not be entirely accurate, and approval could be determined based on the false premise that they are healthy and capable to carry a full-term pregnancy when in fact they may not be able to do so.

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