Oregon doctor sues fertility clinic for $5.27 million after sperm used to father at least 17 children instead of five
CORVALLIS, OREGON: An Oregon doctor is suing a fertility clinic after he found out that his sperm was used to father at least 17 children, alleging that they voided an agreement where they would not use his sperm for any more than five children. Bryce Cleary, now 53, donated sperm to the Oregon Health & Science University in 1989 when he was a first-year medical student there, after the hospital's fertility clinic solicited him and his male classmates, according to Oregon Live.
At the time, he had made the clinic sign an agreement where they would not use his sperm for more than five children, though beginning March 2018, he realized that they had not honored that agreement.
It was around that time that he learned that two young women had given birth using his sperm after they contacted him and told him about the existence of more children from the donated sperm, via Ancestry.com.
Cleary then sent his DNA to Ancestry.com and discovered, much to his horror, that at least 17 offspring had been born through his sperm donations, with it possible that there could be even more of his children out there.
During a news conference where he announced he would be seeking $5.27 million in compensation from OHSU, Cleary sat beside one of the 17 children he had discovered via the website, 25-year-old Allysen Allee, and said the clinic's actions were "incredibly irresponsible."
A part of Cleary's anger also stemmed from the fact that another part of the agreement, where it was mandated that all the children should be born to women living outside Oregon or on the east coast, had been voided as well. Most, if not all the children, were born in Oregon.
Since the donations, the 53-year-old has married and had three biological sons and adopted a daughter, and revealed that at least two of the offspring conceived through OHSU have attended the same schools, church, or social activities as one of his sons and daughter.
Cleary stated his concern over the same in the lawsuit, pointing out that it was possible his children could meet without realizing it and become romantically involved. "The idea that you can produce that many children from one donor and throw them all in the same region?" he said. "There has got to be some reforms. I can’t control an industry, but I can sure stand up and say, 'This isn't cool.'"
Allee, who is pregnant with her third child, shared his concerns. "I’m expecting my third child right now," she said. "... and the idea of my children having dozens and dozens of cousins that will be their ages and in the area is concerning."
"It feels like OHSU really didn’t take into consideration the fact that they were creating humans. They were reckless with this, and it feels like it was just money and numbers to them," she added.