by Carrie Bornstein, Executive Director
Mayyim Hayyim is the home of new beginnings.
After ten years of working at Mayyim Hayyim, I’ve seen a lot of joyful celebration. But I’ve seen a great deal of heartache, too: couples mourning miscarriage, grieving after stillbirth, weeping after failed IVF cycles, immersing month after month, trying to conceive.
Beth wrote to us: “Your infertility ceremony broke down a wall I had unknowingly erected. Finally, someone understood what I was feeling and gave me permission to feel it. I emerged centered, peaceful, and for the first time in over a year, hopeful.”
Felicia and David wrote: “We have been grieving our loss and are ready to try to conceive our next child. We are grateful to have this resource.”
Sometimes heartache turns to joy. I’ve seen couples return to immerse in the 9th month of pregnancy, or post-partum with a newborn in their arms, or to celebrate the adoption and conversion of their child. These are the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen.
If not for Mayyim Hayyim, it never would have occurred to me to become a gestational surrogate. To turn sorrow into gladness.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be delivering a baby I’ve been carrying for a Jewish couple in London who were among the heartbroken for more than seven years. It has been an amazing journey and I am deeply grateful for the support of the Mayyim Hayyim community along the way.
This pregnancy is unlike my others in so many ways. For example, I’m not registering for onesies or a stroller. Instead, I’m asking you to join me in this mitzvah by donating to Mayyim Hayyim.
Your gift insures Mayyim Hayyim’s mission as a safe and sacred haven for all the seasons of life. So Lisa and Sarah can immerse before giving birth, Rachel and Robert can heal after a late-term miscarriage, and Randi and Daniel get to “be in the moment” as they become parents.
Every dollar you give will be a source of healing and renewal. So please, give generously. Shanah Tova.
To give someone a new beginning, make a donation now at www.mayyimhayyim.org/donate.
Carrie Bornstein is the Executive Director of Mayyim Hayyim. You can read more about her journey on her blog, “There’s No I in Uterus.”