Posted on 03/31/2026 6:58:32 AM PDT by BenLurkin
"It was pretty soon after James was born that I knew something wasn't right," says Laura.
She and her partner, Beth, have two children - James, and their eldest Kate - both conceived through IVF treatment at a clinic in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.
The two women used their own eggs and carefully chose one anonymous, healthy sperm donor. They told the clinic which ordered the sperm for them that it was important the same donor was used for both babies - so their children would be biologically related.
But when James was born, they both noticed that his "beautiful" brown eyes were very different to those of his biological mum, Beth, and the sperm donor the family had requested. It sparked a flame of doubt in his parents' minds: "Had our clinic made a mistake?"
After nearly a decade of worrying, Beth and Laura decided their children should take a DNA test. The results indicated neither child was related to the sperm donor their parents had selected. What is more, the evidence suggested the children were not even related to each other.
...
BBC News has spoken to the families of seven children in total who believe the wrong sperm or egg donors were used during IVF treatment. Most of these families have done commercial DNA tests which appear to confirm their fears.
All the cases are linked to clinics in northern Cyprus - a territory where European Union laws do not apply and which is only legally recognised by Turkey.
Northern Cyprus has become one of the most popular destinations for British people seeking fertility treatment abroad, say experts. Clinics are loosely regulated and promise low prices and high success rates.
...
'We thought we had ordered sperm from Denmark'
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
But did they have the machine that goes “Ping”?
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