Feb 14th, 2007
Donor 150 is named Jeffrey
Today the New York Times profiles “Donor 150″ who was a “highly requested” sperm donor in the late 1980s. He has six offspring — that he knows about so far.
Sperm Donor Father Ends His Anonymity
by Amy Harmon
February 14, 2007
The Times did a story in late 2005 about biological half siblings finding each other which motivated Jeffrey Harrison to connect with his offspring. (See Kate’s blog post about the original story at queerspawn.com.)
Excerpt from today’s article:
Mr. Harrison had been thinking about getting in touch since reading in an article in The New York Times 15 months ago that two teenagers whose mothers had used his sperm to conceive were looking for him. The headline, “Hello, I’m Your Sister, Our Father Is Donor 150,” made him choke on his coffee, said Mr. Harrison, who made $400 a month donating sperm under that number twice-weekly during the late 1980s.
He says he was worried he would have disappointed the children since he is living in an RV and making a “meager living.” For the kids that are looking for him, however, I’m sure they would rather know about the real man than hold onto any fantasy of a man they will never know.
I am happy for donor kids who are using the internet as a tool to make the biological connections they are seeking. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out this well for everyone. Some donors neglect to notify the clinic when they move so they are more difficult to find 18 years later; some clinics have incomplete documentation or they will claims file have been distroyed; and I’ve even heard of moms being reticent to tell their children the name of the clinic.
If you are searching for information about your anonymous donor, go for it, but be prepared for anything, including running into a dead end.
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Related Link: Donor Sibling Registry