"Educate the child. Raise him or her without biases of any kind. Teach him or her to trust in others but to rely on self. Instill in him or her a sense of humor and the ability to enjoy life."
Penned on a sperm bank intake form, these words of advice from Donor 1058 to the future recipients of his donations became a parental motto for one particular recipient, Wendy Kramer, who would go on to found the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR). With almost 75,000 members in 105 countries, the DSR is the world's largest platform for sperm, egg, and embryo donors, donor-conceived children and adults, and their parents to connect and share information through mutual-consent contact. In her role with the DSR, Wendy has become a leading advocate for donor families and for reformation of the modern profit-driven donor conception industry.
This is the story of Wendy's journey as the mother of a donor-conceived profoundly gifted child, Ryan, whose relentless curiosity--under the tenacious guidance and support of his mother--eventually led to his reunion against all odds not only with his biological father, Donor 1058, but also with 19 of his donor-conceived half-siblings scattered across the continent. Their experience--like the experience of so many of the Donor Sibling Registry's members--illustrates how this brave new world of donor conception is stretching our understanding of the evolving nature and possibilities of "family." This memoir, written with warmth and humor by Wendy herself, reminds us with story after story that there are few things more fundamental than the human need to know where we come from, nor more beautiful than the triumph of truth over shame.

Donor Family Matters: My Story of Raising a Profoundly Gifted Donor-Conceived Child, Redefining Family, and Building the Donor Sibling Registry

Parenting & Relationships

Kramer, Wendy

Family Relationships

Donor Sibling Registry

How do you tell your child that they were conceived with the help of a donor, and then address curiosity about half siblings and/or the donor?
Wendy Kramer, Co-Founder and Director of the Donor Sibling Registry, makes it easy and fun! A first-of-its-kind book for kids involving half sibling and donor references. Your Family: A Donor Kid's Story is illuminated in fun, easy-to-understand graphics and factual reproductive descriptions. Inclusive of all family types.
The book starts with the parent's desire to have a baby, the use of a donor, and then broaches the topic of half siblings and biological parents/donors. A perfect book for (the millions of) donor-conceived children to learn about how they were conceived and for understanding that being curious about their unknown genetic origins and relatives is natural. These early conversations are integral to creating a happy and healthy donor child and family.
Pages are included at the end of the book for the child to paste images or draw relatives, with interactive text and colorful anecdotes.

Your Family: A Donor Kid's Story

Children's Books

Growing Up & Facts of Life

The conquest of Guatemala was brutal, prolonged and complex, fraught with intrigue and deception, and not at all clear-cut. Yet views persist of it as an armed confrontation whose stakes were evident and whose outcomes were decisive, especially in favor of the Spaniards. A critical reappraisal is long overdue, one that calls for us to reconsider events and circumstances in the light of not only new evidence but also keener awareness of indigenous roles in the drama. While acknowledging the prominent role played by Pedro de Alvarado (1485-1541), Strike Fear in the Land reexamines the conquest to give us a greater appreciation of indigenous involvement in it, and sustained opposition to it. Authors W. George Lovell, Christopher H. Lutz, and Wendy Kramer develop a fresh perspective on Alvarado as well as the alliances forged with native groups that facilitated Spanish objectives. The book reveals, for instance, that during the years most crucial to the conquest, Alvarado was absent from Guatemala more often than he was present; he relied on his brother, Jorge de Alvarado, to act in his stead. A pact with the Kaqchikel Maya was also not nearly as solid or long-lived as previously thought, as Alvarado's erstwhile allies soon turned against the Spaniards, fomenting a prolonged rebellion. Even the story of the K'iche' leader Tecún Umán, hailed in Guatemala as a national hero who fronted native resistance, undergoes significant revision. Strike Fear in the Land is an arresting saga of personalities and controversies, conveying as never before the turmoil of this pivotal period in Mesoamerican history. &nbsp;

Strike Fear in the Land: Pedro de Alvarado and the Conquest of Guatemala, 1520–1541 (Volume 279) (The Civilization of the American Indian Series)

Biographies & Memoirs

Lovell, W. George

Lutz, Christopher H.

Historical

University of Oklahoma Press

The first comprehensive book that offers invaluable step-by-step advice for families with donor-conceived children. Wendy Kramer, founder and director of the Donor Sibling Registry, and Naomi Cahn, family and reproductive law professor, have compiled a comprehensive and thorough guide for the growing community of families with donor-conceived children. Kramer and Cahn believe that all donor-conceived children’s desire to know their genetic family must be honored, and in Finding Our Families, they offer advice on how to foster healthy relationships within immediate families and their larger donor family networks based on openness and acceptance. With honesty and compassion, the authors offer thoughtful strategies and inspirational stories to help parents answer their own, and their children’s, questions and concerns that will surely arise, including: <ul>
<li>How to support your children’s curiosity and desire to know about their ancestry and genetic and medical background.</li>
<li>How to help children integrate their birth story into a healthy self-image.</li>
<li>How to help your children search for their donor or half siblings if and when they express interest in doing so.</li>
</ul>
Finding Our Families opens up the lives of donor-conceived people who may be coping with uncertainty, thriving despite it, and finding novel ways to connect in this uncharted territory as they navigate the challenges and rewards of the world of donor conception.

Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor-Conceived People and Their Families

Cahn, Naomi

Adoption

Penguin Publishing Group

Product Description Donor families are unique, yet are also becoming substantially more common with the exponential advancements being made in the field of reproductive medicine, and with the wider acceptance of LGBTQ+ and single-parent families utilizing donor gametes in recent decades. The accessibility of commercial DNA testing is also helping to expand these families, as many people are finding out by surprise that they are part of a sometimes quite large donor family. Individuals connected to donor families are therefore much more likely to be seen across a variety of mental health and medical settings for a range of presenting problems, either related to or separate from this part of their background. Regardless of the presenting issue, for these individuals the challenges of forming and redefining family as they explore their own or their child's new biological connections can seem overwhelming and are therefore very likely to surface as a topic of discussion in treatment. Given the greatly increased probability of encountering a client connected to a donor family in their practices across settings, and the specific challenges this presents, clinicians must be well-informed about all perspectives in order to address such issues in a knowledgeable and sensitive manner. Counseling Donor Family Members provides clinicians and mental health professionals with guidance on the unique issues that can present for egg and sperm donors, parents of donor-conceived children, and donor-conceived people. They will be better prepared for many of the issues that donor family members might present in regards to their family of origin and with their new donor family relationships. Counseling Donor Family Members is both a resource for mental health and medical professionals in any setting, and a useful reference book for researchers, and donor family members themselves. It presents evolving ideas, recommendations, and talking points, that can be used in counseling everyone in the donor family. Because each stakeholder is deeply connected to the others, understanding all viewpoints is important for a successful counseling experience with any parent, egg and sperm donor, or donor-conceived person. Review "Education and competency in the issues related to donor-assisted reproduction should be required of any professional working with parents, donors, or the donor-conceived. And by this, I mean healthcare workers, legal professionals, teachers, spiritual care workers- people who interact with humans. Especially now, as this medical technology advances its accessibility, and as more people find out later in life that they were donor-conceived. This is another intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion for which professionals and families alike need resources for education and understanding. This handbook is just that source. As a healthcare professional, beneficiary of an egg donor, and mother to a young donor-conceived person, I can say this book is a great start. I extend gratitude to Kramer and Bertisch for their hard work in sharing this with us."- Laurie N. Baker, PhD, ABPP, Director of Psychology, Shepherd Center"This is a therapist handbook that should not be put on a high shelf; it needs to be readily available. While focusing on the needs of all members of donor families, the handbook is also an intelligent, accessible, and practical guide for offering high-quality therapy to all clients who want to address issues related to their families." - Liz Margolies, LCSW and Founder, National LGBT Cancer Network"This handbook relays the practical importance of this topic, particularly how mental health providers can help donor-conceived people navigate such complexities. Although discourse is shifting and stigma is decreasing, there needs to be greater awareness around assisted reproduction and its impact on individuals, couples, and families."- Dr. Elizabeth B. Lozano, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Sociology, Ca

Counseling Donor Family Members: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals

Bertisch, Hilary

Ethics International Press, Inc

This colorful reader will introduce students to God's marvelous creation and reinforce phonics principles. Students will also learn beginning vocabulary skills as he is exposed to new words. A glossary of terms is also provided at the end. (Christian Liberty Press) Grade: 1st

Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 1 (Christian Liberty Nature Readers)

Wendy Kramer

Florence Bass

Julia Wright

Bass, Florence

Science, Nature & How It Works

Christian Liberty Press

This math workbook is designed to give first grade students an introduction to primary mathematics concepts. Topics covered include addition and subtraction facts from 1-18, two-digit addition and subtraction, fractions, calendars, time and money, measurement, and sets. (Christian Liberty Press)

Liberty Mathematics Level *OP

Science & Math

Mathematics

Liberty Mathematics Level A Teachers Man

Shewan, Ed

Atemorizar La Tierra

Lutz, Christopher

Lovell, W. George (William George)

Guatemala, Guatemala : F&G Editores

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kramer, Wendy. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Kramer, Wendy