News Release

European Patient Organisation Fertility Europe launches the Special Families Campaign

Business Announcement

European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

The campaign sends a multiplied message of hope for fertility in form of postcards with stories, including the key message on prevention and treatment. Thousands of postcards with moving stories are expected to cross Europe until October 2011.

The goals of the Special Families Campaign are to raise awareness of fertility issues and give a voice and a face to those concerned. Members of Fertility Europe are in contact with many families who had their dream of a family come true - either with the help of Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR); or families with children conceived naturally; or with the help of donor gametes; or have adopted; or remained childless and are leading a fulfilled life without children. Those who successfully travelled the bumpy road to a family life are a source of hope for millions of others. Sharing their dramatic and emotional stories with others is a great way to share hope.

About 10 million EU citizens need help and assistance in order to have a child. It often takes years of MAR, a huge emotional, physical and financial effort to build a Special Family. Fertility Europe is an independent umbrella organisation of European associations, involved with fertility issues and providing support and advice to those affected by difficulties in conceiving. Established in 2007 Fertility Europe currently has 20 Full Members from 18 countries, 1 Associated Member and 5 Candidate Members.

The Special Families Campaign is a collection and dissemination of postcards made of pictures and stories of Special Families, sent from Fertility Europe member countries. The postcards will be created at www.fertilityeurope.eu/specialfamiliescards and sent by e-mail to family planning couples facing difficulties in conceiving and collected in the National Galleries on the internet.

A selection of Special Families postcards will also be displayed at the annual congress of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) at a special Wall of Hope on the premises of the congress in Stockholm in July 2011, and in various other places. This will also be the first opportunity to present the best stories, and the numbers of postcards sent from various countries.

An invitation banner of Special Families is displayed in the local language on the homepage of the participating members of Fertility Europe as well as on www.fertilityeurope.eu for a period of 6 months. The family will be given instructions on how to insert a family picture (or the picture of a child, its handprints, or a drawing – in case the family wishes to remain anonymous) together with a short story and sending the card to their friends, and relatives if they wish to and to the National Gallery. The stories - in many languages, yet with one common message of wished parenthood - will also be spread much further by co-operation with other partners, internet portals, local networks on pregnancy, adoption, endometriosis, twins, IVF children, male fertility, healthcare, babies, Facebook and other social networks.

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The main partner of Fertility Europe in the Special Families Campaign is ESHRE. More information on ESHRE can be found at www.eshre.eu. The other partner, related to family planning and conceiving a child is an Austrian producer of combination of substances for improvement of sperm quality.

For more information please contact:
Denisa Priadková
vice chair of Fertility Europe
info@fertilityeurope.eu
www.fertilityeurope.eu
Tel: +421 903 425 863

List of participating countries and Member organisations of Fertility Europe:

1 De Verdwaalde Ooievaar, Belgium
2 Zachatie, Bulgaria
3 Iskam Bebe, Bulgaria
4 Roda, Croatia
5 www.takovenormalnirodiny.cz, Cech Republic
6 Simpukka, Finland
7 Maia, France
8 Lombikbébi, Hungary
9 Tilvera, Iceland
10 Amotat Chen, Israel
11 Amica Cigogna, Italy
12 Freya, Netherlands
13 Ønskebarn, Norway
14 Nasz Bocian, Poland
15 Associação Portuguesa de (in)Fertilidade, Portugal
16 SOS Infertilitatea, Romania
17 Občianske združenie Bocian, Slovakia
18 Barnlängtan, Sweden
19 Kinderwunsch, Switzerland
20 Infertility Network UK, United Kingdom

Press Office: (Sunday 3 July – Wednesday 6 July)
Mary Rice, Emma Mason, Hanna Hanssen, Elisa Marcellini


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