Cryos International, the world's largest international sperm bank, will celebrate one year in Orlando on Wednesday, April 6 with a ribbon cutting ceremony launching their new 2,600 square foot donor egg bank. The ceremony will take place from 10 am to 12 pm at their USA headquarters 2200 N. Alafaya Trail Suite 100, Orlando.
The center includes a full embryology lab and surgical center and has begun taking applications from women to become egg donors.
In one year of operation in Orlando, Cryos has accepted sperm donations and catered to those in need of third-party insemination. Due to the vast success of assisted reproduction through sperm donation, the new donor egg bank will now give women the chance to donate and help childless people in the local community and throughout the United States. With a large population of professional women waiting until later in life to have children, the demand for donor eggs has become greater than the supply. Egg freezing technology has advanced making it possible to freeze unfertilized eggs, referred to as oocytes. The new donor egg bank not only gives women the opportunity to preserve their own fertility, but also the option to be an egg donor.
The paradigm shift from fresh to frozen eggs in the fertility industry creates several advantages for the intended parents. There is much more freedom in the selection process, and as a result it is considerably less expensive. Additionally, there is less worry and more control over the treatment because there is no risk of donor related delays. Cryos plans to begin working with reproductive clinics this summer.
"We are very excited to be able to further our vision in helping the childless make their dreams come true," said Ole Schou, Founder and CEO of Cryos International. "We hope that women in the Orlando area will donate with us to help families in the United States and abroad."
The egg donor application process takes about 30 days to complete. Once approved, donors begin working with coordinators and physicians. Retrieval is typically within 30 days. Initial meetings, training, education and retrievals will all take place at the new donor egg bank facility. The center's first egg retrievals occurred during the last week of March.
