By admin on October 26, 2011

Fairfax Cryobank and Cryogenic Labs (CLI) are still refusing to give former sperm donors and adult donor conceived people access to their donor numbers. This prohibits families from making mutual consent contact. This prohibits the sharing of medical and genetic infotmation amongst genetic relatives. This takes away the opportunity from many donors who were never properly educated or counseled about donor anonymity, from changing their minds and reaching out to make mutual consent contact with the children they helped to create.

As we wonder why….it is very clear that this has nothing to do with what is in the best interests of the former donors, or the children born from donor insemination, it is only serving the best interests of the sperm bank itself. More donors just might find out that they to have more than 150 donor offspring. More offspring just might learn that they have many half siblings, some who have tried to report medical issues to the sperm banks. This is an effort by the sperm banking industry to keep information like this from becoming public. This industry desperately needs oversight, transparency, accurate record keeping, and a code of ethics.

From a Fairfax/CLI Representative:

“We can provide the customer who purchased the vials the donor number if they do not know it. We do not provide donor number’s to any children born from a donor. If the donor was an anonymous donor, we will not assist any offspring trying to make contact with the donor. The donor’s also do not get to know their numbers.”


By admin on October 20, 2011

This film is about siblings and a donor who all met through the DSR. The siblings were first featured in a NY Times article we put together in 2005. The donor saw the article, called me about a year later (I think after a follow up NY Times article), and the connection was made.

Sometimes donor offspring can idealize their sperm donors, imagine them to be almost super-human. It’s really important to remember that these are just guys, just regular men. I wasn’t thrilled that this film team chose this particular donor to focus on, as in my experience is that he is not your “typical” donor. But, I do think they did a good job with the film.

I do wish that the film team would mention the DSR though, as these matches don’t happen “magically” in the internet, as the press would have you believe. We work very, very hard to keep these matches occurring and to support all those involved.

10/20/11 Colorado Public Radio Interview: http://www.cpr.org/article/Donor_Unknown_One_Girls_Quest_to_Find_Her_Father#.TqGqK6JspPU.gmail


By admin on October 19, 2011

Ryan and I had a great time at the Single Mother’s by Choice 30th Anniversary
Gala in NY this past weekend. Jane Mattes did an amazing job with the conference
and they had a tremendous turnout (more than 300!). We got to meet and chat with
so many DSR members, as well as women who were thinking about using donor
conception.

We also got to meet with Sara Axel’s NYC Gathering for parents of donor
conceived children. An amazing weekend! Big thanks to Jane and Sara for the
invites!