Sperm-Donor Child to Meet Her Father

Dec. 13 -- Maggie Rousseau, who lives on a farm with her mother in Northern California, has just about everything a teenager could want — her own horses, lots of friends, and interest from some top universities.

But when Maggie turns 18 in February, she will ask for something she has never had before — the identity of her sperm-donor father.

"Even the word 'father' is like a different language,'" says Maggie. "I've never grown up with it. It's completely foreign. I don't know what the meeting would be like."

Maggie may very well be the first child born from sperm-bank insemination to meet the donor father. Nineteen years ago, her mother went to The Sperm Bank of California for help in getting pregnant. It was the first facility in the country to give men the option of releasing their identities to their offspring once those children reached adulthood.

"When they reach the age of 18, they can get detailed information about their donor," says Executive Director Alice Ruby. That information includes name, birth date, last known address and phone number, as well as the driver's license number.

The sperm bank says 70 percent of its donors agree to give up their anonymity. But they are counseled to give it careful thought; once the decision is made, it cannot be revoked.

What Will These Kids Expect?

One man who agreed to this donor-identity release option is a landscape architect called Jim. A decade ago, he helped 10 families get pregnant through the sperm bank. That means at least 10 children could one day come calling.

He is still committed to the principle of open access. "I think that information should be available for the offspring if they're interested in finding out more about their background."

Even so, he does wonder what else they might want from him. "There are real issues that were less real 10 years ago," he says. "Will I be expected to pay college tuition for however many kids are looking to go to college at about that time?"