My RESOLVE:

How and Why I Remain Committed to Non-Profit Efforts

It is with great pride and a hearty dose of humility that I mention my seat on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of RESOLVE of New England. It is hard for me to remember exactly how long I have been on the board at RNE given that I have been involved with RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association since before my children were born. RESOLVE is a significant component of that which fuels my passion for the work I get up every day ready to do.

Long-story short, in 1994, while living in Denver and trying to conceive, I learned that RESOLVE was looking for folks to support legislative efforts for insurance coverage in Colorado, I was hooked. What a perfect way for me to work towards community benefit while blending my legal background with my personal struggles. Fast-forward, blessed with a successful IVF and the birth of Rachel and Matthew, I then began to look to RESOLVE for information on how the courts were viewing cryo-preserved embryos. I had cryo’d embryos, I wanted to know their legal status. Before the internet (or easy access to the web) RESOLVE was, for me, the only source for management of infertility related questions/concerns/curiosities. Having relocated then to Boston, RESOLVE National, based in Somerville, Mass. (at the time) offered me a job, another perfect fit which became, essentially, the launching pad for Prospective Families which has now led to Law Offices of Amy Demma.

Opportunities to work with and to serve RESOLVE (both the National office as well as the then chapters) have evolved as both my family as well as my professional life pushed forward. RESOLVE National has since left the Boston area and I now more regularly serve RESOLVE of New England (through my Executive Committee position). Tomorrow, however, I leave for New York City to celebrate with colleagues from across the country the work that RESOLVE National continues to do; we will all be toasting much success at The Night of Hope Gala.

What I know about RESOLVE, and I can attest to it personally, is that while it references the mission of its origin, it, too, is an organization very much for the now. I know this because when I brought to RESOLVE of New England my interest in developing resources for cancer patients dealing with fertility preservation decisions, I was given a warm and enthusiastic green-light to launch an initiative. When I approached RESOLVE National about accessing their resources to begin to do work on embryo donation, I was given access to so much valuable information that led to a development of more resources soon to be shared with RESOLVE of New England.

I see RESOLVE National and RESOLVE of New England as a reflection of the infertility community of today. As that community has been redefined to include single hopeful parents, same-sex couples, cancer patients and even the fertile community, I know my RESOLVE will be right there, in-time and in-pace with whatever it is that prospective families need.

Originally prepared by Amy Demma, Esq. for RESOLVE of New England