When two Colorado sisters sent their genetic testing materials into a DNA testing company, they had no idea what they were about to discover. When the results came back, they found out that their parents had actually sought help from a fertility doctor and used donor sperm.
However, the news that the man they knew as their father wasn’t biologically related was just part of the shock. They had numerous half-siblings out there, identified through similar genetic tests with both that company and a competitor. Worse, the tests indicated that their biological father was someone they had occassionally seen around town — their mother’s former fertility doctor.
The two women were conceived back in 1980 and 1985, when genetic testing was in its infancy and over-the-counter tests were a far-off fiction. They found relatives that may have been produced by the fertility doctor’s sperm that were born anywhere from 1976 to 1997.
Their mothers had been told that the sperm donor chosen by the doctor would be either a law student or a medical student — not the doctor himself. The revelations have entirely upended the worlds of the victims who say that they’re horrified at what happened to both their mother and themselves.
“Fertility fraud” has attracted attention in other states after similar incidents have been uncovered. California and Indiana have passed specific laws related to the issue, but Colorado has not. The plaintiffs are alleging that the 80-year-old doctor’s actions were negligent and caused them significant emotional and economic distress. At least six others may be filing similar claims.
Not all personal injuries occur as the result of car wrecks and accidents. Some have their origins in little more than the arrogance and greed of others. If you’ve been victimized by another person’s deliberate or negligence acts, find out more about your rights.