Lab Technicians

Michele Garabiles

Michele possesses a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology degree and worked as a registered Medical Technologist in a hospital in the Philippines for seven years.  She was active in both clinical as well as anatomical pathology laboratories.

In 2001 she moved to Canada and successfully completed the requirements by the Ontario Society of Medical Technology to become a registered member. She then worked in a blood and sperm processing laboratory in one of the assisted reproductive technology clinics in Toronto.

Before the opening of First Steps Fertility in January 2008, Michele attended the new and improved ECiQ Vitros System – Key Operator Training program at the Johnson & Johnson Company in Rochester, New York. In April 2008, she updated her knowledge in sperm analysis and morphology by attending the workshop given by the American Society of Andrology in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Maria Pecho

Having completed a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology degree in 1984, Maria began her career by working in a private hospital in the Philippines.

Moving to Canada in 1990, she completed the program as a Medical Laboratory Technician at Robetech Institute in1992, becoming a registered Medical Laboratory Technician member of the Ontario Society of Medical Technology a year later.

In 2000, she started working at Canadian Medical Laboratory (CML) and did part-time work at another fertility clinic. A new opportunity opened for her at First Steps Fertility in 2008 where she works as Phlebotomist/ Technician doing blood and andrology procedures.

Redempta “Tootsie” de la Cerna

Tootsie received her degree of Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology in the Philippines. She worked as registered medical technologist for more than 10 years in the Provincial Medical Center, a tertiary hospital with automated facilities. She performed all routine procedures in several different departments as well as specializing in Clinical Chemistry.

Tootsie has been a member of the American Medical Technologist Association since 2004. She immigrated to Canada together with her husband and three children. She attended seminars and training to upgrade her skills and became a certified Medical Laboratory Assistant by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Sciences (CSMLS) in 2006. She provided volunteer work in fertility clinic, acquiring additional technical laboratory skills. She joined the First Steps Fertility team in 2008.