Sperm donor, 72, to father his own grandchild

Daily Mail ^ | October 5, 2007 | FIONA MACRAE

[NYer]

A man of 72 is to donate sperm to try to father his own 'grandchild'.

He has been cleared to provide the sperm to his daughter-in-law to allow her to become a mother.

Any baby born will be its grandfather's genetic child and a halfbrother or half-sister to the man it takes to be its father.

What do you think about the case? Join the debate

The case - believed to be the first of its kind in the UK - raises ethical questions about how well the child will cope with such unusual family circumstances.

The Harley Street doctors treating the couple, however, say that the child's interests were paramount when taking the decision.

The couple, whose identity is being kept secret, opted for donor sperm after IVF treatment with the husband's own failed.

They turned to the husband's father, rather than an anonymous donor, because they wanted a child as genetically similar to both families as possible.

Peter Bowen-Simpkins, codirector of the London Women's Clinic which is carrying out the procedure, said the couple and the grandfather had undergone extensive counselling.

"I've certainly never come across a case like this before," he said.

"But advancements in fertility treatment have overcome a lot of taboos in science which means that people are prepared to consider all sorts of options.

"Obviously, the wife's mother-inlaw also had to be included in all of the conversations but she has no objections.

"Society has also changed its perceptions of what is and what is not acceptable.

"In this case, keeping the genetic identity of the child similar to their own was a huge factor.

"The husband does not have a brother, which is why he chose his own father to assist."

Kamal Ahuja, the clinic's scientific director, said: "We spent many, many months deliberating this case and discussed it with our ethics committee and with counsellors and have come to the conclusion that they shouldn't have been denied treatment."

It is not known if the couple, who are in their thirties, intend to tell the child about its parentage.

The child will be able to track down its biological father on turning 18.

Critics cautioned that the child could face major identity issues.

Philippa Taylor, of Care, a Christian charity, said: "The reproductive whims of parents to do some deliberate and unnecessary social engineering should not be put before the welfare of the child.

"Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should."

A spokesman for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said donations from family members were legal and relatively common.

Preliminary tests at the clinic suggest that the 72-year-old's sperm is viable.

[mamelukesabre]

Actually, I think it is a good thing. I would argue that if anyone should be a sperm donor, it should be the closest living relative of the man that intends to be the father of the child resulting from the sperm donation. Likewise, if some woman is to donate an egg.

[wagglebee]

Even before modern genetics, it was well known that many conditions recurred in families (heart problems, diabetes, etc.). Inbreeding makes genetic problems even worse, look at the problems with hemophilia in the European royal families in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The decision to pursue this course of action is simply an act of greed. In this woman's desire to have a child, she has taken the "it's all about me" route with no concern for the offspring.

It is the child she wants so much who may ultimately suffer the most for her selfishness.

[wagglebee]

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This is wrong on ever conceivable level.

[bluetone006]

LOL

[samiam1972]

Yuck! That gave me a really nasty mental picture!!

[wagglebee]

I can hardly imagine why!

[Grizzled Bear]

“Obviously, the wife’s mother-inlaw also had to be included in all of the conversations but she has no objections.”

---

What an odd way to say “the Donor’s wife,” or “the husband’s mother.” The “wife’s mother-inlaw” is not even biologically related to the wife.

[WLR]

This is an example of greed.

No it is an example of a clan using modern technology and science to keep their genetic line alive..

The Father will be blood kin to the boy.

Not a thing wrong with that really.

W

[Mrs. Don-o]

They tried normal procreation via intercourse and it didn't work, and then they went for IFV with the husband's sperm and it didn't work. So something's evidently wrong about the husband's sperm. The article didn't say whether his sperm wouldn't fertilize an egg, or if fertilization occurred but the embryos died in vitro, or if they lived but failed to implant, or what happened.

That bothers me, because what this couple needs is for the husband to get some actual therapeutic help with getting his own sperm "up to speed" so to speak, rather than having his own father take his place.

That's one of the (many) ethical problems with all the artificial reproductive techniques: once you rely on them, nobody's motivated to try to solve the original problem, which is to aid this husband in regaining his natural fertility.

[Pinkbell]

I’m surprised at the support for this on FR. This is morally wrong. The Catholic Church is against IVF because they believe children should be concieved between a mother and father, not in a test tube. Often times the “extra” embryos are disposed of, and human life is destroyed. This goes beyond standard IVF, though. This is a man impregnanting his son’s wife. The poor child will find out some day, and he/she is going to feel really awkward. I know I would if it was me.

[Republican Wildcat]

The Father will be blood kin to the boy.

Yeah, because his wife will be giving birth to his own brother.

Not a thing wrong with that really.

If you say so...

[Rb ver. 2.0]

"That bothers me, because what this couple needs is for the husband to get some actual therapeutic help with getting his own sperm "up to speed" so to speak, rather than having his own father take his place."

KRAMER

Jerry. Did ya ever have your sperm count checked?

JERRY

No, why should I? I wear boxers.

KRAMER

You ever get a woman pregnant?

JERRY

I'm sorry, Kramer. Those records are permanently sealed..

KRAMER

What would you say if I told you, "I never impregnated a woman"?

JERRY

Really? You never slipped one past the goalie in all these years??..

Boy, I'm surprised. You've slept with a lot of women, I--

KRAMER

A lot of 'em! [wild gesture, freaked out]

Do you think maybe I'm.. Depleted??!!

JERRY

Well, I'm sure you're not.. Totally Depleted.

KRAMER

Well, but what if I am? I'm the last male Kramer! We're facing extinction!

JERRY

Well, go to a fertility clinic. Have your sperm count checked.

KRAMER

Yeah, but then I'd have to.. well, you know.. into a cup? In the of the day??

ELAINE

Does that conflict with your regular schedule?

[wardaddy]

what are the implications?

i guess none really....his DIL has none of his DNA that we know of

unless this is a DAMAGED scenario

[wardaddy]

that is a mostly myth pushed by fembots jealous of men’s ability to procreate till the grave

and resented by ever lower testosterone meterosexual GenY and echoboomers who resent us old dogs

my great grandaddy had kids in his 70s and they did great

i have them at 50 and they are more manly than most of their mousey peers

so, suck it up son....you hear?

/s

[brwnsuga]

Not good. genetic inbreeding

not so, the grandfather is not a blood relation to his daughter’in’law so they do not share the same DNA

[Squantos]

My grandfather on my Dad’s side was born in 1860. My Dad was born in 1934...... Grandpa died at age 103 .

Hey does anyone have that song I am my own grandpa ?

[NYer]

what are the implications?

I think freeper Pinkbell summarized it quite well here.

[NYer]

The Father will be blood kin to the boy.

The father will be his half brother.

Professional ethicists have a problem with this but not. Would you agree that it is okay to harvest unfertilized eggs from an aborted fetus so some infertile woman can give birth to a child.

[Popman]

What do you mean? The very first thing you should do when a child first learns how to talk is to describe to him how he was conceived.

Really?

I had six children and I don't recall the subject of how they were conceived being a prescient point we had to divulge at their first words

[wardaddy]

one can have IVF without destroying embryos

which would be the way I would go

my cousin and his wife tried twice.

they harvested her eggs.....

were able to fertilize several and implanted them

she had several hold to the uterine wall but later miscarried them all

they had already told the doctor that if all three implanted took, they would have all three and not abort any period