The Marina Rakhkin Legacy Fund
Donation protected
My name is Michael Abrams and I am a cousin of Ben and Marina. We have created this GoFundMe as a way to celebrate the life of Marina Rakhkin - and for her friends and family to contribute toward fulfilling her final wish - which was to have a baby. Loved ones who contribute through this page will support Marina’s wishes of Ben having his and Marina’s child through surrogacy.
Anyone that’s been around Marina when she’s been around children has seen her at her best. Generous, caring, fun, and endlessly patient, Marina has always been drawn to children and children to her. Put her in proximity to a child and she is soon playing, changing diapers, and offering to babysit.
When I first met Marina I was living in a tiny East Village apartment with my wife and two young daughters. Within minutes of being introduced to Marina, my girls were dragging her all over the apartment, giving her a tour of their every toy, and prattling at her nonstop. Then, when most adults would be ready for a break,
Marina was down on the rug with them, playing at their level, and soon engaging in their favorite activity: pretend hair salon. Only it wasn’t so pretend. As they brushed, braided, and pinned her hair, they were all smiles, as was Marina. To say that she endured more than what other adults might put up with is to miss the point—she was in her element and all three of them were enjoying each other completely and naturally.
Marina’s love of children is such a large part of her that there was never a question of having them or not. On Ben and Marina’s first date they discussed how many children they wanted. And from then on it was always part of the plan.
The day after her 34th birthday, Marina went to the hospital with stomach pains. Her cancer had returned and had spread. When her oncologist told her that, since the melanoma could be passed on to a baby, she should not have children naturally, she broke down. “She was at her saddest—it was one of the few times I’ve ever seen her cry,” Ben told me. “Then two minutes later she started talking about surrogacy, and basically project-managed the problem out of existence.”
Ben and Marina soon began the process of harvesting eggs and finding a surrogate. But Covid slowed their plans to a crawl. After many complications they were ready to move forward with a contract at the beginning of October this year. But then Marina’s health began to seriously decline. The two had talked endlessly about making their dream of having children a reality. And they agreed, that if things got bad, Ben should go ahead with the surrogacy on his own—as long as he has the support of other people.
Parenting is no small undertaking, and with the addition of a surrogate pregnancy, it is an especially costly one. A single successful surrogacy runs $150,000, ignoring all postnatal and childrearing costs. Please donate to help Marina and Ben’s dream become a reality. It can only happen with your love and support.
*if you would like to make a tax deductible donation and/or avoid the transaction fees, we have also partnered with the non-profit, Shefah. Please CLICK HERE to donate through Shefah.
Anyone that’s been around Marina when she’s been around children has seen her at her best. Generous, caring, fun, and endlessly patient, Marina has always been drawn to children and children to her. Put her in proximity to a child and she is soon playing, changing diapers, and offering to babysit.
When I first met Marina I was living in a tiny East Village apartment with my wife and two young daughters. Within minutes of being introduced to Marina, my girls were dragging her all over the apartment, giving her a tour of their every toy, and prattling at her nonstop. Then, when most adults would be ready for a break,
Marina was down on the rug with them, playing at their level, and soon engaging in their favorite activity: pretend hair salon. Only it wasn’t so pretend. As they brushed, braided, and pinned her hair, they were all smiles, as was Marina. To say that she endured more than what other adults might put up with is to miss the point—she was in her element and all three of them were enjoying each other completely and naturally.
Marina’s love of children is such a large part of her that there was never a question of having them or not. On Ben and Marina’s first date they discussed how many children they wanted. And from then on it was always part of the plan.
The day after her 34th birthday, Marina went to the hospital with stomach pains. Her cancer had returned and had spread. When her oncologist told her that, since the melanoma could be passed on to a baby, she should not have children naturally, she broke down. “She was at her saddest—it was one of the few times I’ve ever seen her cry,” Ben told me. “Then two minutes later she started talking about surrogacy, and basically project-managed the problem out of existence.”
Ben and Marina soon began the process of harvesting eggs and finding a surrogate. But Covid slowed their plans to a crawl. After many complications they were ready to move forward with a contract at the beginning of October this year. But then Marina’s health began to seriously decline. The two had talked endlessly about making their dream of having children a reality. And they agreed, that if things got bad, Ben should go ahead with the surrogacy on his own—as long as he has the support of other people.
Parenting is no small undertaking, and with the addition of a surrogate pregnancy, it is an especially costly one. A single successful surrogacy runs $150,000, ignoring all postnatal and childrearing costs. Please donate to help Marina and Ben’s dream become a reality. It can only happen with your love and support.
*if you would like to make a tax deductible donation and/or avoid the transaction fees, we have also partnered with the non-profit, Shefah. Please CLICK HERE to donate through Shefah.
Organizer and beneficiary
Michael Abrams
Organizer
Newton, MA
Ben Ginsburg
Beneficiary