A British woman gave birth to a son by donating free sperm through social media, but cautioned that “reckless informal donation is dangerous” when the child showed symptoms of developmental delay.
According to the British media Daily Mail on the 28th, Laura Caldman joined the Facebook “Free sperm donation group” in 2020 to have a second child after breaking up with her lover. The group is known to be used as an informal means of finding donors when single women or same-sex couples want to get pregnant.
“At first, I thought it was a joke, but after several checks, I was connected to a donor,” Coldman said. “After four attempts in 2021, I gave birth to my son, Callum. However, after giving birth, my son showed neurodevelopmental characteristics such as delayed speech development.”
“I found out that other children of the donor had similar developmental problems,” he said. “The donor’s medical and family history was not disclosed, so the danger was unknown at all. He could have hidden his criminal record or mental illness, but there was no way to confirm it.”
Coldman has started a GoFundMe fundraising campaign for his son, who is currently waiting for his developmental disability test, and said, “He is not aware of the danger, such as hitting and throwing his body, and accessing windows or furniture. It is expensive to prepare child protection devices,” he said. “I don’t want to recommend anyone to donate their sperm to Facebook. It is too dangerous.”
According to the Human Fertilized Embryo Management Agency (HFEA), it is illegal to provide sperm anonymously without permission in the U.K. due to the revision of the law in 2005. Unlike official donations, in the case of unofficial donations, the donor is considered to be the legal biological father and can be liable for child support.
SAM KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
