Meet Evie Jeang of Surrogacy Concierge

Thanks for sharing your story with us Evie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
As a family law attorney for more than 15 years, I was never quite sure if I wanted to start a family. I did not have the time and had not found the right person. I felt that if I went on maternity leave, I would lose a partnership opportunity because I chose to have a child.

When I decided to freeze my eggs, I was 30 and a close friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and was told by her doctors that if she ever wanted a biological child, freezing her eggs was her best option. That news made me think about the possibility, and if I ever thought about having children, maybe I should do the same; so I did and people thought I was crazy.

At the time, it was a controversial choice. I remember reading a New York Times article questioning why women chose to freeze their eggs, which was only really done by people who were very ill, and it was incredibly expensive – anywhere from $10-12k – which made the process even more daunting. But when I sat down and thought if I really wanted a future child later in life, all I needed to do was save a bit of money, the choice was simple. So I saved up and eventually froze my eggs while continuing to focus on my career.

I later met my partner and got married, and although everyone kept asking when I was going to start a family, I wasn’t ready for one – my partner was enough. As you get older, doctors and studies show you that your eggs become less viable. So I decided to freeze my eggs again at 35 when my career was a little more established.

In 2013, I decided it was time to retrieve my eggs and go through the surrogacy process, and as a result, I had a beautiful son. I was fortunate enough to save my eggs early on – I did not require a donor, but not everyone is so lucky. By the time many women realize they want to freeze their eggs, they are no longer good quality eggs and are forced to use a donor. There is a lot of stigmas involved in this, especially in Asian communities where they believe egg freezing and surrogacy to be shameful. I’m Asian and understand the culture, as well as the stigma when you can’t carry a baby, or when you don’t want a baby by choice.

Having already started a law firm and knowing the confusing process of egg freezing and finding a surrogate, I saw the need to combine my legal expertise, knowledge and network of medical professionals to create Surrogacy Concierge. Headquartered in California and serving families across the U.S. and world, Surrogacy Concierge is a one-stop-shop for growing families’ surrogacy and fertility needs.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I was lucky to know that I had options. Not all women are armed with this information and there is still a lot of educating that needs to be done – to healthcare providers, employers, etc. Some innovative tech companies in Silicon Valley have seen the benefit of offering fertility treatment and egg freezing options for women who are career focused. Women should have the option to focus on their career.

Other big companies have partnered up with local fertility clinics to offer discounts for their female employees to freeze their eggs. This shift prompted my decision to open an office in San Francisco. I wanted to inspire young professional women to know that they do not always need Mr. Right to have a family – now they have options.

I think the industries that need a bigger push in this direction are law firms or investment banking firms, where women employees are so busy and the mentality is still a little bit old school. I want to share my story with them, to tell other female attorneys or female partners that it’s not too late, that it can happen to them.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
My company, Surrogacy Concierge, is a one-stop-shop for growing families’ surrogacy and fertility needs. We are comprised of hospitality, legal and medical professionals, and we coordinate all aspects of the surrogacy and fertility process, ensuring that the complexities that come with having children are fully transparent, confidential and shields families from potential legal issues that could arise. I’ve seen other agencies that have unethical legal contracts, and couples don’t know what they are getting into – I want to lift the veil on that.

I’m most proud of the mission behind my company – to let women know they have options and to help a couple have a family, especially same-sex couples who face discrimination in their home countries – I’m proud of that. I can help them to at least have the dream that they always wanted, and even though they have been discriminated against in many other ways, at least they are not denied the fundamental right to a family.

Which women have inspired you in your life? Why?
I would say a few people, but the most significant is my mother. She was a single mom and came to this country with me and my sisters not speaking English, not knowing how to survive. She was a waitress and sold Mary Kay cosmetics, and she raised me and my sisters to be strong women. She taught us that if she could raise us with the limitations she faced, then we could do it better. She’s one of the women that always stayed supportive and always made sure that we achieved more.

Another woman I will always be very grateful to is my girlfriend who battled breast cancer. She is the reason I learned about freezing my eggs, and she is the reason I learned what options women have, which led me to make a career out of it. Because of her, I also got the joy of having a child of my own, which is amazing.

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