23andMe, the most well-known company that offers at-home DNA testing kits for individuals, launched in the United States in 2007. Premiering on May 11, ' Our Father ' chronicles how a woman's DNA test led to the sickening discovery that the once lauded Dr. Donald Cline secretly fathered dozens of his patients' children at . than three times. As of the time the Netflix doc ceased production, the number was nearly 100. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. As of May 11, 2022, Cline has been confirmed as the biological father of 94 doctor-conceived offspring. Jacoba Ballard in "Our Father." According to Fox59, Cline has paid over $1.3 million in settlements to his victims and their families. felony obstruction of justice charges for misleading authorities who were Hes active around his community. At the time of his court case, Cline still lived in Indianapolis, as do children he had with his wife and many of those he fathered through insemination. Due to her knowledge of how she was conceived through artificial insemination, she sought after Donald Cline. It brings awareness on this huge platform," Jacoba says of the documentary. Theres times I get really angry. Jacoba who felt she didn't belong in her family took a DNA test at the age of 33 in 2014. She appears alongside Julie Harmon (sibling 14), Matt White (17), Heather Woock (22), Lisa Shepherd-Stidham (33), Jason Hyatt (48), Carrie Foster (53), and Alison Kramer (61). Can you use recordings as evidence in California? Unbeknownst to Donald's patients, he used his own sperm to impregnate his clients, which resulted in him fathering dozens of children. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. How do I get a copy of my Nebraska birth certificate? Dr Donald Cline was previously praised as one of Indianapolis's best fertility doctors throughout the '70s and '80s. "It doesn't feel like a brand new spotlight on this," Heather adds, "but it's certainly bigger and brighter now.". At that meeting, Cline admitted to being their biological father. When Matt White, another of Cline's biological children, and a bunch of half-siblings confronted Cline in 2016, he admitted to having used his own . At the same time, donors are respectful of the integrity of the family in which their offspring were raised. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Two other half-siblings had children on the same sports team. Jacoba Ballard in Our Father. Is a business community property in California divorce? Cline made contact with Ballard when she first realised he was her biological father. How many children did Dr Donald Cline have? Cline said he used his own sperm whenever he didnt Lisa Shepherd, who is referred to as Sibling #33, spoke about the concerns she faces on a daily basis: When we get a new sibling alert, youre praying, Please dont let it be somebody I know. Or, Please dont let it be somebody I dated.. Dr. Donald Cline has been famous in the media as the fertility doctor who inseminated his sperm into several women without consent. Where Is Jacoba Ballard From 'Our Father' Now? Jourdan adds: Hes going to grandchildrens swim meets and things like that. Dr. Donald Cline was not convicted with fraud or medical malpractice at the time he stood trial because, in the eyes of the law, he had done nothing illegal. 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. The term is also used in cases where donor eggs are used without consent and more broadly, in instances where doctors and other . Its definitely emotional on a lot of different levels, seeing how upset it makes my mom, some of the things that go around in my head, like, Am I the way I am in some respect because he is who he is? It plays mind games with you, said Matt White, one of the half siblings. The doctors actions were revealed by one of his children, Jacoba Ballard. At the time of Cline's trial in December 2017, there were only 22 siblings. And since 2019, the number has climbed higher and higher. The database unmasked, with detached clarity, a dark secret hidden in plain sight for decades: the physician once named Nevada's doctor of the year, who died in 2006 at age 94, had impregnated . Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Pennsylvania police seized gloves, flashlight from home of Idaho murders suspect. We actually had a new sibling pop up the day the trailer dropped, she told The Guardian, regarding Netflixs new documentary Our Father, now streaming, which outlines the entire shocking tale. Below, catch up on where a few of the 94 half-siblings are now: During her investigation, Jacoba met Cline and his family in person. For years, he had been inseminating his female patients with his own sperm, without their knowledge, or their consent. They didn't hide it from her, and in 2019, Ballard decided to see if she had other siblings from the same sperm donor. As Indiana lawmakers first prepared to hold a hearing to discuss a proposed fertility fraud bill, Matt drafted letters to send to individual members. Dianna Kiesler and her daughter Julie Harmon in Our Father on Netflix, Dr. Donald Cline is Julie Harmon's biological father. It's also possible that there are more half-siblings out there. Mr. White and Ms. Ballard now both continually check websites like 23andMe to see if any new half siblings will emerge. Appearing alongside Jacoba are Julie Harmon (sibling #14), Matt White (#17), Heather Woock (#22), Lisa Shepherd-Stidham (#33), Jason Hyatt (#48), Carrie Foster (#53), and Alison Kramer (#61). It was an unexpected family reunion of the worst kind. Fearing the worst had come true, Jacoba and a few of her half-siblings met with Cline and the son he shared with his wife. They said in the complaint that, in researching their origins, they had discovered through a genetic testing website that they were half siblings, and had all been conceived using sperm from Dr. Clines office. "I called my mom and I was like, 'Mom, is it possible I have random siblings out there somewhere?'" Most men who want to donate sperm can only donate enough for 25 live births per a population of 800,000, as the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends. He also lost his medical licence, although he had already retired in 2009. 2022-04-22 05:00:01 - Paris/France. Did you never consider that? In addition to Jacoba Ballard, Our Father features half-siblings Julie Harmon, Matt White, Heather Woock, Lisa Shepherd-Stidham, Jason Hyatt, Carrie Foster, and Alison Kramer, who all share their own stories of discovering their true paternity. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. In mid-December 2017, then-79-year-old Dr. Donald Cline pleaded guilty to the two counts of obstruction of justice. The story of the Indianapolis doctor, Donald L. Cline, who inseminated his patients with his own sperm, is coming to Netflix on May 11. How many children does Cline have and where are they now? He lost his medical license and did not serve jail time, Indiana did not have laws specific to fertility fraud. In 2014, when she was 35 years old, Jacoba took a 23AndMe DNA test and when her results came back as having seven half-siblings, she decided to investigate further. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Here's everything to know: First, Cline has two children with his wife, Audrey. However, The Atlantic reports that Cline was charged with neither rape nor battery with bodily waste, and in most of America, there is no specific law against the actions Cline did to his patients. DNA testing for paternity cases was introduced in 1988, well into Cline's medical career (via Nature Education). ", Jacoba says that finding new relatives always gives her a "sick feeling.". INDIANAPOLIS- A retired Indianapolis fertility doctor "She was like, 'I don't know what you're talking about. AN INVESTIGATION into the practices of fertility doctor, Donald Cline, led to a number of bombshell revelations. Both of these theories have never been proven. BREAKING! All registered. Cline actually confessed to using his own sperm in his patients. He had an estimated 94 children. Our Father is unmissable. An actor portrays Cline in Netflix's new true crime doc. Im a young writer who is passionate about blogging. So I'm hoping it reaches more people, more patients. In 2014, Indianapolis resident Jacoba Ballard wondered if she had any unknown siblings. On May 11, 2022, the documentary Our Father dropped on Netflix, effectively horrifying viewers with the story of a fertility doctor who crossed roughly a million lines and ended up biologically fathering nearly 100 babies. They just haven't found them all yet. As per the documentary, via Distractify, after meeting with Jacoba Ballard, Donald reached out to her again to tell her that digging up the past was destroying his marriage because his wife considered his actions to be adultery. She expects the number to grow. It is currently unknown if Donald and Susie are still married. And sometimes they think about how many more half-siblings are out there, yet to take a DNA test that would prove Clines paternity, and whether their children might date each other unawares. As one person says in Our Father's trailer, "Dr. Cline was the best infertility doctor in Indianapolis." But this image of Cline was destroyed after an investigation found he had used his own sperm to inseminate his patients without their knowledge or consent dozens of times, resulting in his paternity of at least 50 children . To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Jacoba Ballard, an only child, one day decided to do a DNA test via 23AndMe, out of curiosity to see if she had any half-siblings, knowing she was conceived via a sperm donor. Clive Jones claims to have fathered 129 children with nine more on the way. were expecting, impregnating at least eight women decades ago, court documents Case Number. As for Dr. Donald Cline, his punishment was a $500 fine, one year's probation, and his medical license was permanently revoked (via Daily Mail). Doctor Donald Cline's crimes were brought to light thanks to an investigation by FOX59's Angela Ganote. But there might be more out there. Image from Netflix. And for the siblings too whose world has been turned upside down. Without the consent of his patients, the doctor would replace sperm donations with his own sperm from time to time. And in 2009, Dr. Ben. '", "At that point, I just didn't think it was real," she adds. The test showed that their family doctor, Dr. Cline was his biological doctor. Did you really thinkthat we wouldnt meet? ", Flash forward to today, and she's also excited about Our Father's release. Sales peaked around the holidays in 2017 and 2018, and by 2020, 30 million people globally .css-umdwtv{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:.0625rem;text-decoration-color:#FF3A30;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:inherit;-webkit-transition:background 0.4s;transition:background 0.4s;background:linear-gradient(#ffffff, #ffffff 50%, #d5dbe3 50%, #d5dbe3);-webkit-background-size:100% 200%;background-size:100% 200%;}.css-umdwtv:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;-webkit-background-position:100% 100%;background-position:100% 100%;}had taken a DNA test. The film uses a series of interviews and reenactments to recap the events that transpired. Type above and press Enter to search. Some siblings met at a yard sale, while others realized they went to college together. But he ran into a problem: The total count of his half-siblings seemed to climb constantly. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. In the '70s and '80s, Donald Cline fathered more than 50 children by using his own sperm in his patients. Some of the now-adult children of Cline's former patients filed a complaint with the . The fertility doctor inseminated lots of women with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent. A judge suspended the former doctor's sentence, though Cline did pay a $500 fine and court costs, which totaled $185. sibling #17, told Indianapolis Monthly. Party Name. Greenwich, Connecticut, quickly settled a 2005 lawsuit for using his own sperm. His practice was located in Indianapolis, where several patients would consult him regarding pregnancy matters. Further investigation on genetic testing websites showed DNA links to Dr. Clines relatives, according to the complaint. In the wake of his double conviction, Donald was suspended from practicing medicine for a year and was ordered to pay a fine. Donors with contact are open to having their partners and children know their donor-conceived offspring. He lives within just a few blocks of some of the children he fathered without . Cline is accused of being the biological father of at least Our Father is the stomach-turning new true-crime documentary on Netflix about the actions of a now-disgraced fertility doctor, Dr. Donald Cline. How many fertility doctors used their own sperm? Cline was 79-years-old when he pleaded guilty in December 2017 to two felony counts of obstructing justice, by lying to state investigators about using his own sperm . His misconduct pertaining to his patients was chronicled extensively in the media. Cline is believed to have fathered 94 children and potentially, many more, . When he was inseminating his patients, there was no way to use DNA testing to determine that the children were his. Then, in 2018, he surrendered his medical license to the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana, according to IndyStar. While pleading guilty to the two counts of obstruction of justice, he admitted to his non-consensual insemination of his clients. As detailed in the new Netflix documentary "Our Father," when Cline opened his clinic in 1979, there weren't as many rules around surrounding the fertility specialty (via The Atlantic). Donald Cline has two children from his marriage with Audrey and reportedly 94 other children from insemination. Ms. Ballard said she also reported the half siblings findings to local law enforcement, and while the Marion County Prosecutors Office in Indianapolis ended up charging Dr. Cline for misleading investigators, Ms. Ballard was told there is no law in Indiana that would criminalize Dr. Cline using his own sperm to inseminate patients. More than $1.3 million has been paid in civil suits against a former Indiana fertility doctor who surreptitiously provided his sperm to father at least 94 donor children, FOX59 has learned. Dr. Donald Cline's Wife, Girlfriend & Relationships. Cline admitted to his victims and their families 're talking about 2022, Cline to! First realised he was her biological father were revealed by one of the time of 's... Mind games with you, said Matt White, one of his children, Jacoba says that finding new always! Medical license to the complaint more, new half siblings of children true crime doc to if! 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