Eran Amir
Five sentences about me…
For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to have a family. I grew up in Israel and have now lived in three US states - my career has spanned from the Israeli army to technology, from start-ups to global banks - but what I’m most proud of in this world are my two amazing daughters through surrogacy and egg donation. The long, difficult, confusing and costly journey to build my family inspired me to make it easier for other intended parents to build theirs. This is where my professional and personal journey converge: I took the leap to leave my career and created GoStork, the first ever fertility marketplace where intended parents match with the best fertility providers for their unique journeys. This personal mission is very close to my heart - but my co-Founder (my first daughter Ariel) is even closer… and we hope to give her more siblings in the years to come!
Five sentences about what I've endured in the fertility realm...
The journey to my family was difficult, emotional and expensive. To start, after saving up for years, I spent months of research, confused about which providers were best for me, where to find my egg donor, what the steps in the process were, how long it would take, how much it would all cost… and the questions just continued from there, given the lack of transparency I found when I started googling. As with any other family building journey, there was also the emotional rollercoaster - just one example was the pandemic and shutdowns during our second surrogacy journey. When we could finally restart, our gestational carrier who carried our first daughter, and with whom we had a wonderful relationship, miscarried and was medically disqualified. Of course we were heartbroken - but on the other side of it a few years later, we’re grateful that we now have two amazing gestational carriers who we will love forever.
One thing I wish I knew going into my fertility journey...
I had no idea how hard it would be. And now after speaking with hundreds of other intended parents - all with unique journeys - one thing is clear to me: no one can really prepare you for how emotionally difficult and draining it can become. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have support as you navigate this process. Many people really benefit from coaches, support groups or therapists who specialize in the infertility journey.
On a financial note - it would have helped to have more transparency around costs as well, something which we created with GoStork (I used our cost comparison tool on GoStork myself to save $50K on my second journey).
One thing about me that is forever changed because of my fertility journey...
It changed everything. I always wanted to be a father but was also always hoping for a partner - so I gave myself a deadline of my 40th birthday to start the process alone, if necessary. Long story short, the necessary is what occurred. BUT, I met my husband Mike soon after I matched with a gestational carrier and told him on our first date that I wasn’t looking to waste anyone’s time who didn’t want a family. Fast forward to today, we’re now married and fathers of two, working towards our third. And I’m a first time entrepreneur, which I could only do with Mike's tireless support - for which I'm so grateful. I’m now also more determined than ever to help more and more intended parents from all over the world build the families they’ve always hoped for.
One funny moment or anecdote from my fertility journey...
My egg donor found me through social media! This may not be something everyone would want - but just speaking for myself, it was a great surprise and we’re now good friends.
One product, practice, or ritual I adopted during my fertility journey, which I have/have not kept a part of my life...
I take every opportunity to talk about my family’s journey. When I started my process, I hadn’t heard any other family building journeys like mine throughout my life. It was a big departure, as a gay Israeli man, from any awareness I grew up with. With that in mind, hearing others’ stories started to really support and inspire me during my first surrogacy experience. They helped me feel more comfortable opening up, and I believe that sharing my story now helps other new intended parents feel less alone. I also consistently share our daughters' stories with them - there are many books that help with that as well. It’s something I want them to feel comfortable with and proud of.