Beloved surrogacy champion Jennifer Allen mourned by families, colleagues, friend

globalnews.ca:

Jennifer Allen, a Canadian surrogacy champion who helped well over 100 families achieve their dreams of having children, has died at age 36.

After being a surrogate four times herself, Allen founded JA Surrogacy Canada in an effort to create a less “transactional,” more supportive environment for both “intended parents” and the women serving as their surrogates, said Michelle Avery, the agency’s chief operating officer and Allen’s best friend.

Allen believed strongly that everyone who wants a baby should be able to have one, but “she couldn’t have everybody’s baby,” Avery said.

“So her goal was that everybody that came to her, she was going to help them to build their families and do it with transparency and integrity and compassion.”

Allen died in Calgary on July 28. Her family is not specifying the cause of death, except to say that she died in her sleep and it was unexpected, Avery said.

She leaves behind her husband, Phil Allen, their 10-year-old daughter Abigail Maria Allen and their nine-year-old son Daniel John Louis Allen.

Her funeral was being held on Thursday in Calgary.

In Canada, surrogacy is based on an “altruistic” model, meaning that surrogates are volunteering to carry babies for the people wanting to have children, known as “intended parents.” Surrogates cannot be paid for their services, but can be reimbursed for expenses, including travel to medical appointments and lost income if the pregnancy renders them unable to work.

Based in Calgary but with staff working remotely throughout the country, JA Canada matches intended parents with a surrogate and provides services and support before, throughout and after the pregnancy.

Allen created the agency as a “village” that allows the intended parents “to