Donor Conception Network - Stories
One woman's attempt to work through 'genetic bewilderment'
Reporter: David Hardaker
Another article on the importance of acess to information about genetic origins from Australia.
DAVID HARDAKER:
The children of sperm donors have fought hard over the years to clear up a phenomenon known as "genetic bewilderment" - the confusion of not knowing who your biological father is. Geraldine Hewitt is a 21-year-old Sydney woman who has agitated for changes to State laws, through an organisation called the Donor Conception Support Group, I began by asking her about her -- so far unsuccessful -- search for her biological father.
GERALDINE HEWITT:
I've basically tried to find out who my donor is by contacting the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney where he started donated from 1982 - 1984. His donor code was JAX; he had very generic physical characteristics like blond hair, blue eyes, 5' 8", medium build, O-positive blood type. That's all I know. I was one of 4 children, now adults, who were conceived from his semen; we're all 21 this year. I think a key element to developing a complete sense of personal identity is to know where you come from; part of that is to know who my donor is, and to know something of him beyond the bland physical description that I've got, which I'm really lucky to have. But, I'd love to have his favourite colour, his favourite book. Why he decided to donate -- what motivated him? Did he have friends that were infertile? Did he need the money?
DAVID HARDAKER:
And is it a major gap in your life, not knowing this?
GERALDINE HEWITT:
I think that it becomes a major gap at certain moments because of course I've got a really lovely mum and dad, and if I could change one thing in the world it would be that my dad was my biological father. But whenever I go to the doctor it becomes a huge issue that I don't have 50% of my medical history, that I don't have 50% of my social history. I don't know why I have asthma. Just like other people that don't have a complete medical history -- and there are lots of us in the community -- I suppose any little thing that goes wrong, you sort of think, 'Well, what does that mean? Is that an indication of some sort of genetic disease that I may have inherited?' The fact is you just don't know.
DAVID HARDAKER:
What is it about this plan from Albury [fertility clinic] to fly in Canadian donors that worries you?
GERALDINE HEWITT:
The fact that a financial amount has been attached to human life. It's commercialising children, adults. It's commercialising donor-conceived individuals. I think that it's absolutely abhorrent that these students who are, I would say a very vulnerable target audience for any financial incentive, are being paid $7,000, and it may be that the NHMRC [National Health and Medical Research Council] believes it's not a 'payment' but to be flown from Canada to Australia and enjoy a two week holiday? I mean, what's a 'payment' and what isn't a 'payment'?
DAVID HARDAKER:
Does it allay your fears in any way that any Canadian man who does donate sperm will need to record their details, so the child will know who the father is?
GERALDINE HEWITT:
No, it doesn't. I think that the fact that Australian-born donor-conceived adults will have to contact any foreign government is ridiculous. There is UK semen coming into Australia. There is Danish semen coming into Australia. We are exporting Australian semen. I think that the Albury clinic has come up with insufficient reasons for having to go to a foreign country to get donors. I think that we need to be asking very important questions of the doctors at the Albury clinic, such as, 'Who are these recipients?' Donors now are allowed to choose where their semen goes to.
DAVID HARDAKER:
The Canadian men, it seems, will be counselled as to the legal implications of their decision, so it would appear they will be making their decision with full legal knowledge that they may be contacted later on by their offspring. Does that not satisfy your concerns?
GERALDINE HEWITT:
No. I think that we've learnt from the experiences of the stolen generation, from adoptees, from child migrants, that having information that is easily accessible about your personal history is important to people, and I don't believe that having to go to a foreign government to find out information about your own personal history is something that I myself would want to go down the path of having to do.
Reproduced from www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1150727.htm
