From the late 70s to the mid-80s, Dr. Cline misrepresented the source of the sperm used to inseminate his patients. Cline's daughter Jacoba Ballard is the central figure in Netflix's Our Father. Instead, in 2017 Cline was charged with obstructing justice. / CBS/AP. Clive Jones claims to have fathered 129 children with nine more on the way. Attorney Generals Office. 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 . 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. Dr. Donald Cline's Wife, Girlfriend & Relationships. "What kind of scam is this? cooperating with the attorney generals investigation. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. Jacoba Ballard's earnest quest to find her half-siblings turned into . How Many Children Does Dr. Donald Cline From Netflix's Our Father Have? He would then use these tampered donations to inseminate his clients. Many decades later, Cline's numerous children are finally discovering the horror of just how many kids he actually fathered, reports Netflix. Not a lot is known about Susie, nor her marriage to Cline, but the doc does confirm that they had two children together, Donna and Doug. had told his patients they were receiving sperm from medical or dental 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 . "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. What the couples did not know was that on an untold number of occasions, Dr. Cline was not using the sperm of anonymous donors. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Cline actually confessed to using his own sperm in his patients. Many of Cline's biological "children" including Jacoba Ballard reached out to . The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Dr. Cline initially denied using his own sperm for insemination, prosecutors said, misleading the attorney generals office. When Dr. Cline was accused of inseminating multiple women , Audrey denied being aware of her husbands actions. An actor portrays Cline in Netflix's new true crime doc. Jacoba Ballard in "Our Father." Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. She would later find out that Cline had secretly fathered dozens of his patients' children without their knowledge or consent for years. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Pic: Kelly Wilkinson,/The Indianapolis Star via AP. Heather tells Women's Health. Cline is believed to have used his own sperm on patients between 1979 and 1986. Cline fathered at least 94 biological children, according to the documentary, but the exact number of children conceived is impossible to know. Peaky Blinders's Cillian Murphy and his wife Yvonne McGuinness keep love life discreet, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. Netflix documentary Our Father uncovers the sick true story of Dr Donald Cline . She survives him, along with five daughters, Dr. Beth Klein, Geri Armine-Klein, Dr. As of the Our Father production, there are currently 94 Cline siblings however, its thought that there could be more. A disgraced fertility doctor has fathered 94 children and counting by impregnating his patients with his own sperm. Donald Cline is a fertility doctor from Indiana (USA) responsible for inseminating dozens How many kids does Dr Cline have? Dr Donald Cline, a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist, has fathered at least 48 kids without their mother's knowing. They encouraged parents never to tell their children that they were conceived by a sperm donor. Dr. Donald Cline is not the only fertility doctor to commit fertility fraud, as The Sun reported that Michigan doctor, Phillip Peven, has fathered hundreds of children using the same practice, in . What happened to the 94 babies from Our Father? NetflixIndiana fertility specialist Dr. Donald Cline has never served a day in prison. One scroll through 23andMe later, and she realized she had seven half-siblings she'd never met before. And Our Father reveals that Cline fathered 94 children with his patients at the time of filming . It brings awareness on this huge platform," Jacoba says of the documentary. At that meeting, Cline admitted to being their biological father. After she contacts her brothers and sisters, they join forces to investigate their family tree, which eventually leads them to Cline, who admits to being their biological father. Lastly, this user believes the 94 children did not get the justice they deserved as Clines patients: I just watched Our Father in Netflix and my blood boils knowing the victims who happen to be, unfortunately, his 94 children (and counting), and plenty innocent women, didn't get the justice they so well deserve. Image from Netflix. Many of them live within a tight radius of one another in Indiana, and unfortunately close to Cline. The trailer for Our Father dropped on in mid-April 2022. 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. Jacoba Ballard in Our Father. His elder daughter Donna Stein has also worked with his father at his clinic as a Registered Nurse. Jacoba Ballard is Our Fathers protagonist, as the documentary traces her initial discovery, at 35-years-old, that she had seven half-siblings by taking a DNA test. Act. Dr. Donald Cline has been famous in the media as the fertility doctor who inseminated his sperm into several women without consent. A Fertility Doctor Used His Sperm on Unwitting Women. As of May 11, 2022, Cline has been confirmed as the biological father of 94 doctor-conceived offspring. Dr. Donald Cline inseminated dozens of women with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent during the 1970s and 1980s. Our Father is unmissable. The doctors actions were revealed by one of his children, Jacoba Ballard. Stop reading here if you don't want to know what happens in Our Father. The horrifying documentary focuses on Donald Cline, a fertility . How can I check my court case status in Maharashtra? And in 2019, a new law was finally created to make fertility fraud illegal (via Legiscan). When he was inseminating his patients, there was no way to use DNA testing to determine that the children were his. As further DNA tests are concluded, the number is expected to increase a worrying concern for each of the siblings, many of whom happen to live within close proximity to one another. Ballard's parents used sperm donation to become pregnant. There are 94 of them counted as of now. Why Trust Us? 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. Jordans Style Evolution, Tom Cruise Cried During Val Kilmer's Top Gun Scene, How to Watch 'Everything Everywhere All At Once'. 5 min read. "There was a period of time, I didn't know if I was going to make it. First, Cline has two children with his wife, Audrey. The case against Dr. Cline, and the quest for answers, have been complicated by Indiana state law. What happened to Donald Cline's children? But it was not illegal then for a doctor to inseminate a patient with his own sperm, and the records needed to prove criminal deception had been destroyed. In 2014, Indianapolis resident Jacoba Ballard wondered if she had any unknown 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. sperm was Cecil Jacobson, who may have fathered as many as 70 children from Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Cline became a popular doctor because he used fresh sperm, instead of frozen, which seemed to result in higher pregnancy rates in his patients. She and her siblings also work closely with organizations like Right to Know, who fight for fertility fraud laws. However, it turned out he had a sickening secret. Village Name. ), "Honestly, I'm kind of thankful for it. Now, Heather works with Jacoba on raising awareness around fertility fraud laws. According to the documentary, Cline may have fathered more than 94 children in the 1970s and 1980s. His actions [] Court Number. Between 1972 and 1988, fertility doctor Donald Cline inseminated his patients with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent, leading to the births of many children. This user stated how heartbroken they were after watching Our Father, referring to the siblings whose worlds were turned upside down: I just finished watching Our Father documentary on Netflix and I still cant believe how crazy this all is. Where the Half-Siblings from 'Our Father' Are Now, The 26 True Crime Books Everyone Needs to Read, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/30/us/fertility-doctor-pregnant-women.html. The doctor in question, Donald Cline, secretly used his own sperm on unconsenting clients. How can I check my divorce . 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. mothers both were patients of Cline and that they were related to 70 relatives Ms. Ballard said the lack of more serious charges was disheartening.. When Jacoba Ballard took a DNA test, she had no idea the results would come back with seven matches. Donald Cline was once described as the 'best infertility doctor in Indianapolis' and was famed across Indiana for being a first-rate fertility expert in the 1970s and 1980s. The test showed that their family doctor, Dr. Cline was his biological doctor. Party Name. Prosecutors charged Cline with obstruction of justice, instead. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 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 . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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). Here's everything to know: First, Cline has two children with his wife, Audrey. revamp thrums with sexual tension, trusted fertility doctor and church elder Donald Cline, If PopMaster will continue on BBC Radio 2 after Ken Bruce leaves, Sophie Rundle: Motherhood has made me too tired to people-please', Date of Ken Bruce's final day on Radio 2 and why he's leaving for Greatest Hits early, BBC bids to smooth over Ken Bruce exit row ahead of DJ's thorny last week at Radio 2, When presenter Steve Allen left LBC and his statement following immediate exit, Phew! Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. He then reassured his children that there were only 15 siblings in total, no more than that. As another of Cline's children, Jason Hyatt, recalls, he had over 3,000 potential relatives on Ancestry, a DNA-matching website (via Daily Mail). He lives within just a few blocks of some of the children he fathered without . And Our Father reveals that Cline fathered 94 children with his patients at the time of filming. How was Dr Cline not charged with malpractice? It's also possible that there are more half-siblings out there. He lives within just a few blocks of some of the children he fathered without their mothers consent. 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. He was fined $500, sentenced to a year of probation, and lost his medical license, although hed already been retired for nearly a decade. Though he fathered almost a hundred people without their parents consent, Dr. Donald Cline was still living in his home town of Indianapolis, Indiana, as recently as 2019, according to The Atlantic. Indiana became the first state in the U.S. to make it illegal for fertility doctors to use their own sperm without a patient's consent. The board also voted to prevent Cline from ever applying to have his license reinstated in the future. "It took a lot of guts and emotion for us to participate in this documentary," Heather tells WH. When Cline, nearly 80, was first accused, he denied the charges. "It doesn't feel like a brand new spotlight on this," Heather adds, "but it's certainly bigger and brighter now.". October 8, 2022 by John Groove. You donate your sperm by ejaculating into a sterile container. In the '70s and '80s, Donald Cline fathered more than 50 children by using his own sperm in his patients. Jacoba who felt she didnt belong in her family took a DNA test at the age of 33 in 2014. He settled in Indiana with his wife Audrey and their sons, Donna and Doug. Through 23andMe, the women discovered that there were eight half siblings, contradicting Dr. Clines assertion that the sperm was used for only three pregnancies. Theres times I get really angry. How many fertility doctors used their own sperm? For years, he had been inseminating his female patients with his own sperm, without their knowledge, or their consent. 1976 to 1998 in Vienna, Virginia. 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. Have something to tell us about this article? My heart breaks for all the mothers who were violated by this narcissist. 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. How many children did he father? Finally, I had to write on the envelope saying, Oh, the number in here has been updated since I wrote it last night. . 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. say. 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