At 33, most men have just begun to start their families and probably have one or two kids, but Ben Seisler has reached the phenomenal number of 75. Having paid his way through law school by giving sperm donations, Ben has fathered 75 children. Seisler’s kids found each other through a donor registry and then found him through the same method. This came as a shock to Seisler and his fiancé. Situations such as these raise a number of questions.
- Although these children have been conceived using the same sperm and are technically siblings are they really considered part of the same family?
- Why has this mans sperm been used for so many cases?
- More importantly, why are so many women in the west looking for donors?
After hearing from a number of women in Singapore, we felt there were mixed opinions about donors. Many such as Nur Hasna Abdullah felt that adoption was a better option. “I would rather adopt wonderful babies from an orphanage”, she said. However quite a number said they would opt for a donor if they had no other method of conceiving a child. Women have the option of donating eggs as well. You can read more about it here. [pullquote]In a world that is constantly growing, people need to think about whether donors are a good option, or other methods such as adoption or fostering a child is more relevant to their situations [/pullquote]
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Society in Asia?
Lynda Low, one of our readers, suggested a valid point. Living in an Asian society definitely has an impact on single mums and even the idea of a donor. “The child might face problems with his/her peers”, said Lynda. This may not be relevant if the child is from a donor, but is part of a family that cannot conceive. However, will the parents ever let the child know that their father is not their father by birthright? It is important to let your children know where they come from, but in an Asian society will this be acceptable? And on a global level, is one man fathering so many children morally and socially correct?
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Science v/s Reality
Science has definitely made wonderful things happen, however one man would never have been able to father that many children a few years ago, or if the method of doing so was natural, most certainly not by the age of 33. In a world that is constantly growing, people need to think about whether donors are a good option, or other methods such as adoption or fostering a child is more relevant to their situations. Not that there is anything wrong with donating sperm, or the idea of a donor, or even the scientific procedure for that matter, however donors should be aware that consequences like this exist. If parents are looking to adopt instead, this is a checklist that you could refer to. Single mums or couples who are looking for donors should also know that at some point their child might ask questions about where their genes came from.
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RELATED: Donor help for childless couples
Source: www.thestir.cafemom.com