In Virginia in 1992, an infertility specialist was convicted on 52 counts of fraud and perjury for artificially inseminating patients with his own sperm, among other charges. Ballard's parents used sperm donation to become pregnant. Now, Heather works with Jacoba on raising awareness around fertility fraud laws. The Time Ray Liotta Eviscerated Bradley Cooper. Cline was ultimately charged with two counts of obstruction of justice. Does the story explain how Is Donald Cline Still Married? Now, she's focusing on local advocacy work. After pleading guilty, he received a year of probation, paid a $500 fine, and lost his medical license (though he had retired in 2009), per The Atlantic (opens in new tab). . Last year was really bad," she tells Women's Health. I can emphatically say that at no time did I ever use Jacoba Ballard, who is featured in Netflix's "Our Father," is one of the many biological children of Dr. Donald Cline, a former fertility doctor who used his own semen to impregnate patients without their knowledge. How was Dr Cline not charged with malpractice? Order Date. 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. Here's what you need to know. Jacoba who felt she didnt belong in her family took a DNA test at the age of 33 in 2014. He was ordered to pay a $500 fine but the one-year jail sentence against him was surprisingly suspended, due to the numerous letters the court . of Cline, it said. In the process, Jacoba discovered her DNA matched those of Donald's multiple family members. 2022-05-15 08:37:38 - Paris/France. Blame the Federal Reserve. Cline was not criminally charged with his actions but was charged with obstructing justice by denying the allegations and received a $500 fine. 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. The doctor's actions were revealed by one of his children, Jacoba Ballard. Cline suddenly had no excuse for the many children that looked like him (via The Atlantic). How many children did Dr Donald Cline have? 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. had told his patients they were receiving sperm from medical or dental Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. The new Netflix doc sheds a light on fertility doctor Donald Cline's implanting of his own sperm in his patients without their consent for over a decade, and fathering more than 94 children. Now, Dr. Clines former patients and their children are asking enormously consequential questions: How many women did he deceive? Speaking to The Guardian ahead of the Netflix release, Jacoba Ballard revealed a new sibling had been identified via 23AndMe. 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. However, there has not been any solid confirmation of his death or cause of death. Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. Netflix's upcoming documentary, Our Father, will pull the curtain back on this man, Dr. Donald Cline, and the heartache and damage he left in his wake. ", Heather, sibling #22 in the film, was bewildered when she received a message from Jacoba explaining they were related. Court Number. Clines attorney, Tracy Betz, released a statement saying he It has certainly made things awkward for the many siblings who live within 25 miles of each other: What if they already interacted with one of their siblings, without knowing they're related to each other? . Tripadvisor names the world's top 25 beaches, three in the U.S. others also investigated their ancestry through DNA tests and learned their Dr. Donald Cline used to be known as one of the finest fertility doctors in Indiana (via The Atlantic). In his free time, he enjoys hiking and exploring the beautiful state of Maine. Donald Cline was once a respected fertility doctor from Indianapolis, Indiana. "We find new siblings regularly, especially after major holidays because DNA testing kits are big gifts," Heather Woock, one of Cline's children, tells Women's Health. Can you record your spouse without consent in California? Jourdan said his words to her were: The world does not need to know.. In an interview with The Guardian the director of Our Father, Lucie Jourdan, as well as Ballard say Cline is still alive. He had an estimated 94 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. The investigation into Dr. Cline began in 2014 and 2015, when a group of women including Ms. Ballard filed a complaint against Dr. Cline with Indianas attorney general, whose office investigates consumer complaints against physicians. Cline actually confessed to using his own sperm in his patients. Can you use recordings as evidence in California? Cline's daughter Jacoba Ballard is the central figure in Netflix's Our Father. The doctor in question, Donald Cline, secretly used his own sperm on unconsenting clients. Upon finding out, she said she felt as if she had been raped 15 times by Cline. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Cause Lists. sperm about 50 times starting in the 1970s, a probable cause affidavit said. Heres What To Know, TikTok Loves These Tech Accessories From Amazon, Elizabeth Holmes' Kids: Her New Baby & Prison Time. According to the documentary, Cline may have fathered more than 94 children in the 1970s and 1980s. The film uses a series of interviews and reenactments to recap the events that transpired. So, how many children does Donald Cline really have? Dr Donald Cline was previously praised as one of Indianapolis's best fertility doctors throughout the '70s and '80s. Donald Cline is a fertility doctor from Indiana (USA) responsible for inseminating dozens Jacoba Ballard in Our Father. In mid-December 2017, then-79-year-old Dr. Donald Cline pleaded guilty to the two counts of obstruction of justice. That we wouldnt have kids who might date? Indiana later became the first US state to make it a criminal offence for fertility doctors to use their own sperm without a patients consent. mothers both were patients of Cline and that they were related to 70 relatives He settled in Indiana with his wife Audrey and their sons, Donna and Doug. Donald Cline opened his clinic ( top) in 1979, when fertility was a relatively new specialty. He had an estimated 94 children. They grew frustrated when they learned there weren . Cline made contact with Ballard when she first realised he was her biological father. The investigation into Dr. Cline began in 2014 and 2015, when a group of women including Ms. Ballard filed a complaint against Dr. Cline with Indiana's attorney general, whose office . Have something to tell us about this article? Party Name. Netflix's Our Father tells the chilling true story of an infertility doctor who fathered over 94 children. Press Esc to cancel. 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 . at least eight other people in its database, the affidavit said. told six adults who believed they were his children that he had donated his own To couples at the end of their ropes who wanted children but could not conceive them for medical reasons, Dr. Donald Cline was a savior of sorts, offering to match the women with sperm from anonymous men resembling their partners. Did you really thinkthat we wouldnt meet? WTTV reports that some of Clines biological children simply wish they knew how many siblings Cline produced with his own DNA, but fear that may never come to light. 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 . By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The story of donor children searching for answers, of the siblings they never knew they . Some patients would also use their husband's sperm. Thats the thing, hes still out and about. Four of the half-siblings filed a complaint about Clines actions to Indianas attorney general, leading to a criminal investigation. "Our Father" is the haunting true-crime documentary on Netflix about disgraced fertility doctor Dr. Donald Cline. Dr Donald Cline could have fathered as many as 20 children but was given a one-year suspended sentence . Between 1972 and 1988, Cline, without his patient's knowledge or consent, used his own sperm during artificial insemination procedures. Sulley Muntari, Agyeman Badu, Asamoah Gyan, others visit Christian Atsus family home, VIDEO: Government will be fully involved in providing Christian Atsu a befitting burial Dr. Bawumia, Christian Atsus mortal remains arrive in Ghana via Turkish Airlines, Maybe I created enemies along the line Kofi Amoabeng on UT Banks collapse, Christian Atsu was one of Ghanas finest personnel Akufo-Addo, This is some food chain story Archipalago shamed for chasing clout with Christian Atsus death. But with the introduction of DNA technology, it was quite literally impossible for him to deny how many children he had truly created. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. And in 2019, a new law was finally created to make fertility fraud illegal (via Legiscan). Netflix. INDIANAPOLIS- A retired Indianapolis fertility doctor 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). His misconduct pertaining to his patients was chronicled extensively in the media. Despite the seriousness of his actions, Donald Cline was not sentenced to prison. Case Number. Cline is accused of being the biological father of at least 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Ill never have that.. 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. 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. A new Netflix documentary tells the sickening true story of Dr. Donald Cline, a fertility specialist who inseminated patients with his own spermresulting in at least 94 children. A new Netflix documentary, Our Father, tells the story of how one womans at-home DNA test led her to discover she had numerous half-siblings. Donald Cline helped families struggling with infertility to conceive children, but he did so by using his own sperm without their knowledge or consent. Pic: Kelly Wilkinson,/The Indianapolis Star via AP. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). 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