In the '70s and '80s, Donald Cline fathered more than 50 children by using his own sperm in his patients. The doctor first tried to deny that he was the anonymous sperm donor for many of his patients. That we wouldnt maybe date? Party Name. She still doesn't have a diagnosis, and she says many of her half-siblings are facing similar health struggles. Dr. Cline was legally married to Audrey Cline. But as Ballard says, she believes there are more of Cline's kids out there. 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). All rights reserved. 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). 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 . Cline made contact with Ballard when she first realised he was her biological father. He would then use these tampered donations to inseminate his clients. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. Former fertility specialist, Donald Cline, is the biological father of an estimated 50 plus children Who is Donald Cline? Many couples sought Dr. Cline out at his Indianapolis-area fertility clinic during the 1970s and 80s. Cline's daughter Jacoba Ballard is the central figure in Netflix's Our Father. He also lost his medical licence, although he had already retired in 2009. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Now, she's focusing on local advocacy work. Case Number. Attorney Generals Office. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. News North Sports Indy 500 Things To Do Opinion Obituaries . The accusations against
A disgraced fertility doctor has fathered 94 children and counting by impregnating his patients with his own sperm. 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. 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. Last year was really bad," she tells Women's Health. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. In mid-December 2017, then-79-year-old Dr. Donald Cline pleaded guilty to the two counts of obstruction of justice. As Indiana lawmakers first prepared to hold a hearing to discuss a proposed fertility fraud bill, Matt drafted letters to send to individual members. View our online Press Pack. Photo: Netflix. There are 94 of them counted as of now. Many decades later, Cline's numerous children are finally discovering the horror of just how many kids he actually fathered, reports Netflix. The new Netflix true crime documentary Our Father follows Jacoba's journey to uncover the truth: that former fertility doctor Donald Cline was her biological dad. had told his patients they were receiving sperm from medical or dental
The film-makers also tracked down Cline, who had disappeared from public view, seeking an explanation for his actions. Court Number. 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). Clive Jones claims to have fathered 129 children with nine more on the way. When he was using his own sperm in his medical practice, Cline most likely thought his crimes would never be uncovered. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Party Name. The story of donor children searching for answers, of the siblings they never knew they . Dr. Donald Cline inseminated dozens of women with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent during the 1970s and 1980s. Pic: Kelly Wilkinson,/The Indianapolis Star via AP. We discuss who Donald Clines wife is and what she thought about his actions and reveal how many kids Cline has. Dr. Donald Cline obituary: When is Dr. Donald Cline funeral? Prosecutors charged Cline with obstruction of justice, instead. Thats the thing, hes still out and about. Peter Pogue, his lawyer, said Dr. Cline would continue to defend himself in the appropriate forums but declined to answer further questions. Cline fathered at least 94 biological children, according to the documentary, but the exact number of children conceived is impossible to know. 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. Donald Lee Cline (born December 10, 1938) is a convicted felon and an American former medical doctor of obstetrics and gynaecology. Is a business community property in California divorce? Netflix. You donate your sperm by ejaculating into a sterile container. How can I check my court case status in Maharashtra? Advocate Name. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. If youve got a uterus, judicial systems only want you to make babies. have a donor sample available, the affidavit said he told them. Press Esc to cancel. The 77-year-old from the Indianapolis suburb of Zionsville
"There was a period of time, I didn't know if I was going to make it. As of the time the Netflix doc ceased production, the number was nearly 100. Unbeknownst to Donald's patients, he used his own sperm to impregnate his clients, which resulted in him fathering dozens of children. 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. As the Daily Mail reports, one woman was inseminated with Cline's sperm during 15 doctor appointments. Four of the half-siblings filed a complaint about Clines actions to Indianas attorney general, leading to a criminal investigation. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. He
But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. It is currently unknown if Donald and Susie are still married. Dr. Donald Cline is still living as a free man in Indianapolis, Indiana according to a 2019 report from The Atlantic. But she tells WH that she hasn't heard from Cline since. Cline became a popular doctor because he used fresh sperm, instead of frozen, which seemed to result in higher pregnancy rates in his patients. Dr. Donald Cline acknowledged that he used his own sperm to inseminate patients at his fertility clinic near Indianapolis, and now more than three dozen people think he is their biological father. Jacoba and several of her half-siblings share their difficulties in coming to terms with the shocking revelation. Theres times I get really angry. 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. Some siblings met at a yard sale, while others realized they went to college together. Fertility Doctor Allegedly Used His Own Sperm 50 Times to Impregnate Patients Dr. Donald Cline allegedly may have fathered at least three children during the 1970s in Indianapolis, Indiana director Lucie Jourdan interviews many of Cline's biological children, . Netflix documentary Our Father revolves around former Indianapolis-based fertility specialist Dr. Donald Cline and the reported 94 children he fathered by inseminating their mothers with his . In some instances, state prosecutors said, Dr Cline even told women that he was using their husbands' sperm but provided his own. Heather tells Women's Health. This means that when assets are divided during the divorce process, the other spouse is legally entitled to half of the value , Admissibility of Recorded Conversations in California Typically, recorded conversations are inadmissible in court as hearsay. Dr. Cline had previously told them that he used sperm from anonymous hospital residents, and that he used the same donor for only up to three pregnancies, the complaint said. Fertility fraud is the failure on the part of a fertility doctor to obtain consent from a patient before inseminating her with his own sperm. The charges stemmed from two confirmed cases of paternity, but children of women treated by Cline said DNA tests show he is likely the biological father of as many as 20 of them. But thats not the perfect donor for everyone. The film explains how Jacoba turned her personal investigation into a media frenzy and, eventually, real legislative change. D. Ramaley of
It was a 23andMe test taken by Jacoba Ballard in 2014 that eventually revealed the horror story she shared with a now estimated 90 half-siblings: an Indiana fertility doctor named Donald Cline had . 23andMe, the most well-known company that offers at-home DNA testing kits for individuals, launched in the United States in 2007. Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. Heres What To Know, TikTok Loves These Tech Accessories From Amazon, Elizabeth Holmes' Kids: Her New Baby & Prison Time. Another viewer had their say on how the documentary shines an important light on the judicial system: The Netflix film Our Father speaks volumes at how the system doesnt care about women. The new Netflix documentary Our Father tells the unsettling story of Dr. Donald Cline, a fertility doctor who was found to have inseminated dozens of . is not accused of hiding documents, influencing witnesses or otherwise not
Following law enforcement's investigation into Donald's fertility fraud, he was convicted twice on charges of obstruction of justice in 2017. How was Dr Cline not charged with malpractice? Two other half-siblings had children on the same sports team. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. May 22, 2022 4:38 p.m. PT. Dr. Cline later acknowledged that he did use his sperm. However, it turned out he had a sickening secret. The local OB/GYN physician admitted he used his own sperm on dozens of his patients while in practice for years. Dr. Cline did not return a phone call requesting comment. 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. at least eight other people in its database, the affidavit said. The film is a documentary that centers on Jacoba Ballard, one of Clines children. What happened to the 94 babies from Our Father? Now, Dr. Clines former patients and their children are asking enormously consequential questions: How many women did he deceive? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Mr. White and Ms. Ballard now both continually check websites like 23andMe to see if any new half siblings will emerge. We may earn a commission from these links. Greenwich, Connecticut, quickly settled a 2005 lawsuit for using his own sperm. Some people online have said hes dead, Ballard told the publication. Cline said he used his own sperm whenever he didnt
His actions [] It was common for doctors to pick the sperm donors they thought would be best for each patient. He said he had given his own sperm to several patients, according to court papers. Where will be Ricou Browning buried? Both of these theories have never been proven. Many of them live within a tight radius of one another in Indiana, and unfortunately close to Cline. Here's what you need to know. Many of Cline's biological "children" including Jacoba Ballard reached out to their half-siblings and put pressure on the local media and authorities for accountability in the case. Does the story explain how Is Donald Cline Still Married? Netflixs Our Father puts Jacoba Ballard in the spotlight to expose the truth about her kinship and the unethical act committed by Dr. Donald Cline. Lauren Kranc is the assistant content strategy editor at Esquire, where she runs the brands social media accounts and covers pop culture and television, with entirely too narrow an expertise on true crime shows, .css-gk9meg{display:block;font-family:Lausanne,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;padding-top:0.25rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-gk9meg:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.15;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}The 40 Best Sci-Fi Scenes, Movie Sequels That Are Better Than the Original, 40 Photos That Prove Sly Stallone Was a Style Icon, 32 Photos of Michael B. 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