An Idaho lady sues her fertility physician, says he used his personal sperm to impregnate her 34 years in the past

SEATTLE (AP) — An Idaho lady is suing her one-time fertility physician, saying he secretly used his personal sperm to inseminate her 34 years in the past — the newest in a string of such cases introduced as at-home DNA sampling permits individuals to study extra about their ancestry.

Sharon Hayes, 67, of Hauser, Idaho, mentioned within the lawsuit that she sought fertility care from Dr. David R. Claypool, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Spokane, Washington, in 1989 after she and her then-husband had been unable to conceive.

She needed an nameless donor, and, in keeping with the grievance filed Wednesday in Spokane County Superior Court docket, Claypool knowledgeable her the donor could be chosen primarily based on traits she chosen, reminiscent of hair and eye shade, and that the donor could be screened for well being or genetic points. He charged $100 money for every of a number of therapies, saying the cash was for the faculty or medical college students who had been donating the sperm, the lawsuit mentioned.

However final 12 months, her 33-year-old daughter, Brianna Hayes, discovered who her organic father was after submitting her DNA to the genetic testing and ancestry web site 23andMe, Brianna Hayes informed The Related Press on Thursday.

“It has been an id disaster, for positive,” she mentioned. “This was hidden from me my complete life. I felt traumatized for my mother, and the truth that I am a product of his actions is off-putting.”

Hayes additionally discovered one thing else: She had no less than 16 different half-siblings within the space, she mentioned. It was not instantly clear if some other girls are pursuing authorized claims towards Claypool.

The AP was unable to achieve Claypool by means of cellphone numbers listed for him. His lawyer, Drew Dalton, declined to remark in response to an emailed request, saying he had not had an opportunity to talk together with his shopper.

Dalton informed The Seattle Times, which first reported in regards to the lawsuit Thursday, the matter had been in mediation. However the newspaper reported that Claypool claimed he had no information of the allegations and did not know Sharon Hayes. He stopped practising in 2005, he mentioned.

“I do know persons are very blissful,” Claypool mentioned of his previous sufferers. “However that is the primary I’ve heard of something in 40 years.”

Quite a lot of circumstances of “fertility fraud” have arisen as on-line DNA companies have proliferated. Final 12 months, a New York Times story mentioned greater than 50 U.S. fertility docs had been accused of fraud associated to donated sperm, and a Netflix documentary targeted on an Indiana fertility specialist who secretly fathered no less than 94 youngsters whereas inseminating sufferers.

A Colorado jury awarded nearly $9 million to a few households who accused a fertility physician of utilizing his personal sperm to inseminate moms who requested nameless donors.

The claims in Sharon Hayes’ lawsuit embody fraud, failure to acquire consent in violation of state medical malpractice legislation, and violation of state client safety legislation for “his scheme to cost money for his personal sperm, whereas he was representing it was a donor’s sperm,” mentioned RJ Ermola, an legal professional for Hayes.

Brianna Hayes mentioned she has loved attending to know her half-siblings, however she has by no means met Claypool. She initially sought genetic info to see if it will assist clarify well being points, together with a childhood bout with leukemia — “situations that don’t run on my mother’s aspect of the household.”

She mentioned her mom has struggled with the revelation: “She’s a puddle this morning,” she mentioned. “She feels immense guilt for placing me on this state of affairs. I informed her, ‘This wasn’t you in any respect — you went by means of all the suitable channels to do what you wanted to do. You had been simply being a mother, desirous to be a loving mom.'”