From the moment you contact Family Source Consultants, we will be there to welcome you with open arms and guide you through your personalized journey – holding your hand every step of the way. Our incredible team are not only experts in third party reproduction, but many have experienced the journey first-hand.
This week we are highlighting a team member, friend – but most of all, asset to FSC. We are so proud to introduce, Rachael Smith!
Rachael demonstrates compassion and drive in all aspects of life. In 2020, she was nominated by her community and won the Forty Under 40 Achievement Award! We are so happy for her, but not surprised to say the least, because Rachael Smith can truly do it all – mom, wife, career woman, volunteer work and even help others build their families via her personal experience as a gestational surrogate!
Q&A with Rachael Smith
What made you explore the world of surrogacy? Did you have any hesitations? What made you overcome those hesitations?
I have a family member that was unable to have kids and I always said I would help her if I could. My mom also had a hard time having children and was finally able to carry myself and my twin sister to term. So, when I was unable to help my family member, I started researching surrogacy after my first child. We decided after our family was complete, if everything went well, I would pursue helping someone else. Why did it have to just be family?! I was hesitant about proceeding as I unfamiliar with the proper steps. But, when I joined FSC, they helped me through the entire process (every step of the way), so it was at that point a no brainer that I wanted to help intended parents’ become a family and be able to feel what I feel for my kids. Families come into the world in all different ways, shapes and sizes and if I could help someone else that may need assistance, that’s what I wanted to do. I feel we are put on this Earth to help make the world a better place — I feel blessed that I have been able to do that.
How was your journey overall, and what was you experience like?
My journey had a rough beginning. My first transfer took, but I miscarried at 9 weeks. Four months later we transferred again, and that pregnancy was a smooth experience, and she is now a happy and healthy 3-year-old!
How is the relationship with your intended parent(s)?
The relationship was the most important thing to me in this journey. We built a great and strong foundation and I am still very close to the fathers. We try to skype monthly and text every couple of weeks. I couldn’t be happier with the match FSC had made for me.
What made you chose your career at Family Source Consultants?
I did sales for 15 years. I realized that I was not fulfilling my heart in what I was waking up and doing every day. My heart was in surrogacy and helping others. I have a great passion for surrogacy. My favorite part of the job is seeing the process come full circle. Other than having my children, there is no greater feeling than seeing photos of the baby/ies in their parents’ arms!
What advice would you give a woman who is interested in becoming a surrogate?
Research the process. Be open to the journey and know that it is not always smooth sailing. Sometimes there are bumps in the road and the journey can sometimes take a little longer than someone else’s. Know that there is nothing greater than to be a piece in a puzzle to help intended parents become parents!
Baby ‘A’ Carried by Rachael Smith
Staci Swiderski, CEO and owner of Family Source Consultants, has been a prominent leader in reproductive medicine for over two decades. Through her strategic vision and dedication, she has developed Family Source Consultants into a globally recognized agency specializing in comprehensive egg donation and gestational surrogacy services. Under Staci’s leadership, the agency has become a trusted partner for intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors worldwide, known for its rigorous standards, compassionate support, and commitment to excellence in third-party reproduction.
Her professional insight is uniquely informed by her own family-building experiences. As an intended parent, Staci welcomed her son via gestational surrogacy in 2005, and as a known egg donor, she assisted an infertile couple in expanding their family. These experiences lend a rare depth to her leadership and have fueled her ongoing dedication to ethical, empathetic, and professional support within the field of reproductive medicine.
