Last year it was reported that a fertility doctor in Indiana was facing criminal charges after it was revealed that he had used his own sperm to impregnate artificial insemination patients. Dr. Donald Cline had reportedly misled "around 50" patients about the source of the sperm, telling them it was "fresh sperm" donated by residents and medical students. The Atlantic has now published a follow-up story on the situation, speaking with those impacted by Cline's disturbing actions.
The secret biological children of Cline first started reaching out to one another in 2017, when more and more of them began using commercial DNA testing kits. Cline has reportedly fathered at least 48 children with his patients, although there could very well be more. When one of his many children contacted Cline's family, that's when everything started to click.
Jacoba Ballard was part of the group responsible for figuring out what Cline had been doing with his sperm, and she reached out to Cline's son for answers. When she finally got through to the retired cotor, he recited bible verses from a notepad to the estranged children he had a chance to meet. He admitted to using his own sperm, but explained that all of the records were destroyed. Ballard said that he reached out to the siblings that had become aware of his actions.
When asked why they thought Cline did what he did, one half-sibling responded, "God complex." Another said, "A need to implement this master race or something?" Others said he wanted control, while others simply shrugged their shoulders. When Ballard and others started trying to learn more about what Cline had done, he reached out again to say that his wife considered what he had done to be cheating.
Ballard said he also regretted his actions, but maintained that he only did it "nine or 10 times." Read the full, horrifying story here.
