Egg Donation

Ok so this isn't strictly food related, but it came up this week and I want to talk about it.

Ma called me a few days ago giggling about her "brilliant" idea for me to make money for culinary school. She heard on the radio about a woman who sold her eggs to make money for school. Of course my mom was joking about the whole thing, but it got me thinking. I mentioned it to Tracy, Bill and Carol's daughter, who said she was going through the donation process right now. So I did some research.

I think it's a wonderful gift to give to a couple who wants a child of their own. The money isn't a bad incentive either. The thing that prevents me from doing it is my celiac disease. It's a genetic disorder, and while not life-threatening, can be difficult to live with. A gluten-free diet is more than a diet, it's a lifestyle. I have to read every label on processed food and medication to look for hidden sources of gluten, I have to keep separate utensils for gluten-free ingredients, and for non gluten-free ingredients. The ingredients themselves have to be separated out to avoid cross-contamination. Celiac is truly about the details.

Being an adult, and it being my body that's concerned, I'm fine with my lifestyle, and even a little proud of it. I've learned not to look at it as a medical condition, but rather a biological quirk. And should I have children of my own who suffer, then I'll raise them to see it as such as well. However, giving my biological quirk to someone who is neither prepared for it, nor desiring of it, is completely different. It would be unfair to both child and parent. As I said, it's a lifestyle and I couldn't feel good about forcing the potential of that lifestyle on someone else. I think that the only way I could donate was if the couple in question was already living with celiac or for some other reason, living gluten-free. Celiac can affect fertility afterall, and I'm sure there are couples living with it who are unable to have children, and who want one.

Like I said, I know this wan't really about food, or my misadventures, but it's something that got me thinking outside of my usual box.