Blog

Blog written by Suzanne Seitz, MS Certified Genetic Couselor

As the genetic counselor who talks to families everyday about donor issues, I want to encourage everyone with a donor conceived child to be on the lookout for issues that may be important for other families who used the same donor. When someone calls with a report we immediately record this in the donor record so we can share this information with others if they contact us. We stop sales of units and remove the donor from the donor search. We investigate the report by requesting additional medical information and reviewing the finding with our medical director who is a pediatric geneticist. If we find that the issue does indeed increase the risk to other families for a significant medical problem, we will restrict the donor and get that information out to families. Doctors who received the semen sample are notified and we work with them to inform those of you who have a child already, are pregnant or have units stored you may still plan to use someday.

It is also possible for anyone who has used a donor to check to see for themselves if there are any medical updates on their donor that might affect them and their families. You should really consider checking your donor annually for any news. You can do that on Check Donor Medical Status and if there is something there, I can address your concerns right away. The other way to keep in the loop is to join our Family Forums where any medical update is posted with full details by donor. They are private groups you must join but well worth the peace of mind to know you are fully informed if anything should new is happening with your donor. And finally, updates we receive from the donor himself, either medical or personal are posted in his summary profile you can download for free. Most donors are giving us annual updates which we want to share with you as soon as we get them.

We want to make you part of the process to stay updated on any health related events that might impact you and your family. If you have questions or concerns that you’d like to address I would love to talk to you further. Many times the information your need is just a phone or click call away.