Every person born from a donor might have multiple siblings they had no idea existed…
This four-part series joins a group of donor-conceived people as they open this Pandora’s Box.
Born From The Same Stranger follows searchers as they unite with a host of brothers and sisters or track down anonymous donors who never imagined they could be found.
Their detective work is supported every step of the way by DNA technology, professional genealogists and intermediaries and a specially created social media community of donor-conceived contemporaries, many of whom have already pursued their own searches. They are on hand to advise, encourage, offer tips and guidance, and share their own extraordinary experiences.
Born From the Same Stranger is being made as a UK law change takes effect, which sees donor anonymity disappear and anyone conceived by donation after 2005 able to find out more details about their identity when they turn 18. But the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority is acknowledging that the law can’t keep up with the reality of people tracing donors independently and is proposing further changes to allow donor-conceived children to have their donor’s details from the moment they are born.
As the series will reveal, those born earlier than 2005 are searching anyway, using a combination of easily accessible DNA testing, genetic genealogy and social media advice. And it’s not an easy journey; they come up against barriers and ethical dilemmas as they pursue their desire to know more about where they come from.
The series promises to uncover intimate and fascinating stories, including meeting a woman whose donor’s sperm was delivered across the world in her great aunt’s hand luggage and a brother and sister who’ve discovered they’re two of 21 siblings and counting. It captures donor-conceived people being united with their new-found relatives and explores the effects of nature and nurture on who we are.
From the award-winning Wall to Wall Media team behind ITV’s Long Lost Family. The series is narrated by Davina McCall.
In the first episode it’s the story of Liam Renouf, who was born to a single mum on the island of Jersey in 1995. He grew up wondering about his ‘dad’ and saving up Father’s Day cards to give to him one day, but Liam’s mum Julie had to remind him that the donor is not his dad, but his biological father.
We also meet Sarah Smith, who only discovered she was donor-conceived four years ago. Brought up in Singapore with a Singaporean mother and white British father, Sarah had no idea that her dad was not her biological father until he passed away.
Born From the Same Stranger, ITV1 and STV, tonight at 9 pm
