Have you ever wondered whether your donation of eggs or sperm could really make a difference to someone’s life? Ever thought that it seems like a lot of hassle to go through for someone you don’t know?
The Guardian recently ran a piece in their Letters you always wanted to write series, from a woman who had a child by sperm donation with her partner. Among many other touching words, she says:
To my son’s sperm donor, I mostly want to say thank you, and hope that the joy that you have brought to us is reflected in equal measure in your life.
The Trust is making a collection of letters like this to make into a book to give to donors. This is to help donors realise just how much of a positive impact their unselfish gift can make to another family. People don’t always realise they can send their donor a thank you letter via the clinic, so donors don’t always receive this simple acknowledgement from one person to another.
In an environment where donation is largely anonymous, it also acts as a reminder of the human story behind the statistics. Donors, recipients and donor-conceived children are all curious about each other.
Maybe he’ll come to look for you when he turns 18; maybe he won’t feel the need to. I like the fact that he has that choice… I like to think that if he does seek you out, you’ll be proud of the person you helped to create.
And if you’re reading this now and thinking, maybe it is worth the hassle, perhaps I could think again – thank you.