Interview with a Sperm Donor
Hear the motivations and experiences of one of our sperm donors as discussed in an interview on Melbourne radio station Joy 94.9
SJ: You're listening to The Fast and the Frivolous with SJ and Johno and we have a fantastic person on the line. Daniel, welcome to the show.
SJ: Now you're speaking to us because you donate a certain something don't you?
Daniel: Yes. Yes. I was a donor to Melbourne IVF a few years ago.
SJ: Now what got you into it? How did you suddenly come to the conclusion that that's what you wanted to do as kind of like your charitable donation?
Daniel: I think the cliche is it's something I've always wanted to do. As a gay man with a long term partner we've never really thought about having children ourselves. But I really liked the concept of being able to donate and help people who aren't able to have children have children. So it's just something I wanted to do for a long time.
Johno: Was it a decision that was sort of hard for you to make, because let's be fair when we talk about donations people we think of cups in the street and we put a couple of cents in but [with sperm donation] people give you a cup and you go ready yourself in a private room. So did it take a long time to sort of become comfortable with the whole concept of doing it? And the fact you are possibly bringing a child into the world you may not know for many years or may not even know?
Daniel: Yeah well I say not at all. It was just, I'll just go back to when we had to do the donations or when I had to do the donations which was really very stereotypical cliche. You walked into this room which had a television set and a DVD player and magazines and a bit of a filthy couch. And you're usually given half an hour to go in there and have a bit of fun. On someone else's time.
SJ: Were you allowed to light some candles and pour yourself a glass of wine?
Daniel: Well I'm sure you could have done whatever you wanted. I brought in my own entertainment and set myself up for a bit. But they did say the time was half an hour. But it was just something that I felt was almost like an altruistic gift to society and just being able to contribute to the joys of parenting for other people was something I was really happy to do.
SJ: Do they tell you if you're chosen as a donor?
Daniel: You nominate how many couples or how many people you’d like to treat.
SJ: So you're not having minions like hundreds of your offspring born.
Daniel: Well in Victoria you're allowed to treat up to 10 and you can have multiple children too to 10 people. Now they don't, so Melbourne IVF doesn't actually active tell us how many children we've sowed in some ways. We have to actively contact them. Both my partner and I are donors and we've got a rule that at the end of financial year and at the end of the calendar year we give Melbourne IVF a ring and see what the tally is. Now I've got a boy and a girl. And my partners got six boys.
Johno: Wow.
SJ: So you guys must be really good looking. Like your stats on paper must be fantastic.
Daniel: Well there are no photos. There's nothing identifying. The stats are your height, your weight, hair colour, eye colour that sort of stuff. Occupation and interests.
SJ: Prime specimens.
Daniel: And people just have a look and see who they want and then go through the process.
Johno: Hey Daniel, Melbourne IVF is always looking for new donors. To wrap up give us some reasons why you think people should do this. And sort of make people feel comfortable with doing this.
Daniel: Well it's the right thing to do, I think. One of my most heartwarming experiences was I was a volunteer for Melbourne IVF at midsummer a couple of years ago - manning their table and meeting people. And I approached a lesbian couple that I actually knew and told them I was a donor. And it turned out that they had a child that was fathered through a donor and the connection was just magic. And I actually got to meet this young boy that they had by a donor. And just the positive emotion that they demonstrated told us how good they felt that we've done this thing was amazing. And for me I really look forward to at some point in time at least meeting some of the children that I've contributed to giving life to.
SJ: Daniel, I think you're an incredible individual. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us.
Johno: Daniel, it was a pleasure having you on JOY 94.9 today and all the best with those future times in that little room.
Daniel: Well thank you for having me.
If you're considering becoming a Sperm Donor or want to know more about using a Donor Sperm you contact u by calling 1800 111 483.
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