Paris Hilton Explains Why She Chose to Welcome Her Baby Boy Via Surrogacy, R. Kelly Has Been Sentenced to 20 Years for Sex Crimes Against Minors. An only child who was donor-conceived, she was always curious about whether she had any half siblings. In a voiceover near the end, "Donald" says, "Was there a sexual connotation to it? 'Did you really think that we wouldnt meet? [15] They then filed a multi-count complaint in Marion Superior Court. It starts with Jacoba. There is no federal law against it. The documentary states that Cline was married at the time of practising medicine. ", Ballard, a former paramedic, says, "We need donor conception laws and laws defining clear definitions of consent in every state in regard to sexual assault and rape.". Harmon says she found her hard drive suddenly wiped clean of all mention of Cline, and all of her research vanished overnight. The Netflix documentary follows the investigation into Dr. Donald Cline after it's uncovered that he inseminated patients with his sperm without her knowledge. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. After confirming that she and Harmon were half sisters, the pair connected with their half brother Matt White through the online biology database. The idea's name originates from Psalm 127, "Children are a heritage of the Lord, and fruit of the womb is his . Cline has reportedly since moved on to a different church. Cline, now in his 80s, served no time for his actions. From the 1970s through the 1990s, Donald Cline was a renowned fertility specialist in Indiana. The Netflix documentary, directed by Lucie Jourdan, heavily hinted at Cline's strong religious beliefs motivating his misdeeds. Can you help? [27][28] In an extended profile piece in The Atlantic, reporter Sarah Zhang wrote: The donor children have begun cataloging the ways their own paths have crossed, too. In 2014, Jacoba Ballard decided to take an at-home DNA test. Instead of destroying, you made me realize my self-worth, she says of the doctor in the film. In a moment when the right to safe and informed reproductive care is under threat in the U.S., Our Father is particularly resonant given the questions it raises about how our legal system views those seeking control over their own reproductive choices, and restitution when that autonomy is violated. If that. Our Fatheris unmissable. An at-home DNA test led her to the discovery of not one but seven half-siblingsa number that defied best practices in fertility medicine. Finding out that I had siblings was amazing, Ballard admitted. Jacoba Ballard, Deborah Pierce v. Anonymous Health Care Provider, John Doe, M.D. In 2017, Cline was convicted on two felony counts for obstructing the state attorney general's investigation into the matter. For years, he had been inseminating his female patients. As for why he did what he did, no one knows for sure. Ever since Netflix dropped the trailer for upcoming show Our Father last week, it's all anyone can talk about. Directed by Lucie Jourdan, Our Father zooms in on Zionsville, Indiana, where 35-year-old Jacoba Ballards DNA test reveals the existence of seven half-siblings. This post originally appeared on Glamour U.K. 2023 Cond Nast. Here are the facts the documentary leaves out from the story of Dr. Donald Cline and his donor children. Urges the legislative council to assign the topic of fertility laws, including gestational surrogacy, to an appropriate study committee. Sibling Matt White suggests in the film that someone must have known that Cline was inseminating women with his own sperm. In the documentary, Ballard recounts a meeting between Cline and some of the siblings, where Cline apparently explained that he only used his own sperm to help mothers who he thought were desperate for a child, according to Ballard. But Clines wrongdoings, tragically, felt even more personal for Kramer. There isn't currently a federal law that would make these doctors' illicit inseminations a criminal offense. Two had kids on the same softball team. I dont think any grown woman wants someone closely related to them, a member of the opposite sex, to touch them in that way, she adds. Netflix's bombshell new documentary, Our Father, which premiered on May 11, 2022, reveals chilling details about a once renowned fertility doctor, Donald Cline, from Indianapolis. Their concern with consanguinity and its potential genetic disorders increases as their own children grow up and develop intimate relationships. No respect," she wrote. "He's. Cline, who was retired and in his early 80s, was charged with two counts of felony . "No consent. He kept a low profile and still had many supporters in the community. Perhaps that wasnt saying much, considering that fertility doctors were still a fairly new phenomenon when Cline opened his specialty practice in 1979. By the time the children of Clines former patients began to uncover the extent of his crimes in 2015, he was well into retirement, living in Indianapolis, Indiana. Netflix's brand new documentary Our Father has arrived, exposing the horrors of the twisted fertility doctor, Dr Donald Cline. In 2016, Cline was charged with two charges of felony obstruction of justice: for lying to the attorney general's office about using his sperm with two victims; and for threatening Ballard with lawsuits for "slander and libel". The Our Father documentary describes an event involving Don Cline as a motorist running over a child, killing her. Through further investigation, it is revealed that they and many more are all connected at the root of their family tree by Dr. Cline. Netflix: The 43 Absolute Best Movies to Watch, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories? 1,794, This story has been shared 1,672 times. What happened after the events on Netflix's chilling documentary? Jacoba Ballards life changed after she took an at-home DNA test and learned she had seven half-siblings. Controversy and jail time Those in Quiverfull reject birth control andbelievethey can help spread the word of God by having as many children as possible. Donald Cline, who was once described as the "best infertility doctor in Indianapolis", was known for being a premier fertility expert in the 1970s to 1990s. In 2018, the siblings lobbying, led by Matt White and his mother Liz White, contributed to the passing of Indianas fertility-fraud law. It turned out that Cline was her biological father, and she was the first of over 90 (and counting) people who discovered that they were also Cline's biological children. Another sibling, Heather Woock, who shared her story publicly, began receiving phone calls pointedly inquiring if she was interested in purchasing a cemetery plot. Our Father tells the story of a violation so apparently novel that until the siblings and parents affected by Clines crimes brought their case to court and lobbied for protections, there was no law prohibiting his actions. He lives within just a few blocks of some of the children he fathered without their mothers consent. She recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she wrote for her college newspaper, The Daily Texan, as well as for state and local magazines. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. At the time The Atlantic's 2019 article on Cline was published, he was in his 80s and still living in his home town of Indianapolis, Indiana. Cline's jail sentence of 365 days was suspended. Dr. Donald Cline is still living as a free man in Indianapolis, Indiana according to a 2019 report from The Atlantic. In the film, a former friend and colleague of Clines, Mark Farber, recalls overhearing that hed suffered from rheumatoid arthritis in his hands since the 70s. As a result, he fathered at least 50 children in the 70s and 80s. Nonetheless, Our Father doles out a stinging serving of Netflix justice, laying bare the renowned physician's practice of deceptively inseminating patients with his own sperm, the result being the birth of 94 children and counting. It just completely washes away your identity, Julie Harmon, another sibling, says. Even after taking a 23andMe DNA test and being matched as Ballards half sibling, Kramer couldnt bring herself to believe that she was not the biological daughter of the man she grew up believing was her father, Clines pal Farber. The gynaecologist weighs about 87 kgs, roughly 191lbs. After interning at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, he served two years in the Air Force and 12 years as inactive reserve. such as the widely covered case of Dr Donald Cline in . Little is known about Donald Cline's wife Susie, but according to the film the couple had two children - Donna and . Once upon a time, Dr. Donald Clinewho is exposed in the new Netflix documentary, Our Father, which began streaming todaywas considered to be one of the best fertility doctors in Indianapolis. At the time, Indiana law didn't specifically prohibit fertility doctors from using their own sperm. (An actor for Cline is used in other parts of the film to re-create scenes). When Will 'Jesus Revolution' Movie Be Streaming? The verse is: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.". His former church responded to the Netflix documentary in an interview with Fox59, claiming that Cline had admitted to them that he had been unethical, but that they'd had no idea the breadth of his deceit. The proposed complaint cites negligence, constructive fraud, battery, breach of contract, breach of express warranty, and negligent hiring or retention as to defendant and reproductive endocrinology associates. Come on," he says. That rule was meant to help avoid too many people in a geographical area sharing bloodlines. After reaching out to her newfound family members and researching the mystery of their shared relation, Ballard and her siblings soon discovered with horror what their parents trusted doctor had done. There was no consent. And you made me realize what my purpose is, too.. An actor portrays Cline in Netflix's new true crime doc. The doctor's actions were revealed by one of his children, Jacoba Ballard. This seems relevant to this article about the life of Don Cline. A test confirmed they were half-sisters, and revealed yet more matches. It wasn't until those sharing Cline's DNA began to connect the dots through the increasing availability of at-home DNA testing and social media that they realized they were half-siblings, and the chilling reality began to dawn on them. As per the documentary, Cline retired from medicine in 2009, and . Netflix documentary Our Father uncovers the sick true story of Dr Donald Cline . In 2017, Dr. Cline pleaded guilty to two felony obstruction of justice charges after falsely denying to state investigators that he had been using his own sperm to inseminate patients. At the time there was no Indiana state or federal law to criminalize Cline's actions, and his victims struggled to get justice. It teases the story of Dr. Donald Cline, a former fertility doctor who used his own sperm in donations, which resulted in his fathering at least 50 children throughout the 1970s and 80s. His mom Liz was unknowingly injected with Clines semen 15 times before she finally became pregnant. We learn in the film that Cline has an affinity for the Bible verse "Jeremiah 1:5," and Ballard notes it's "one of the Bible verses Quiverfull uses." I wasnt., I was raped 15 times and didnt even know it, former Cline patient Liz White says during her interview, a wrenching counterpoint. Here's what we do know. Cline was handed a one-year suspended sentence for the two counts of obstruction of justice, and because state law hadn't specifically prohibited fertility doctors from using their own sperm, no other charges were brought against him. Our Father drops on Netflix on May 11. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, All rights reserved. As is often and infuriatingly the case in the U.S. justice system, in order to pursue Cline for the crime he had committed, it was necessary to prosecute him for something else. Photo: Netflix. Is 'Yellowstone' On Tonight? Is this some sort of sexual thing? Todays biggest stories, from pop culture to politicsdelivered straight to your inbox. The documentary does point out that Cline was extremely religious, with numerous Christian sayings decorating his office, and is an elder in his church. No one in the office? It's unclear if Cline is actually the one speaking in the recording. Jacoba Ballard discovered her mother's fertility doctor in Indianapolis used his own sperm during insemination. Cline was a successful fertility doctor who practiced medicine in Indiana, providing treatments such as IVF for hundreds if not thousands of patients, according to IndyStar. The number of confirmed siblings continued to grow as more people added their DNA to 23andMes database. Two of them lived on the same street. Designed to make shopping easier. Matt White, one of the children fathered using Cline's sperm, helped to get the bill passed. The individuals touched by this were very emotional and had a feeling I [was there] to deliver catharsis. "[13], Ganote told DeLaney that Cline was lying to them. The film emphasizes how Clines faith, which developed after he accidentally struck and killed a young girl with his car, pervaded his practice as a doctor. 'The Skinny Shot' on Hulu Is An Ozempic "Documentary" That Plays More Like A Commercial, Where Is Estonia Located? Keith Boyle as Dr. Donald Cline in "Our Father" (Netflix) Netflix's latest documentary feature "Our Father" is an intricate real-life horror tale about fertility fraud that manages to grow. [12] Documents show that he had told investigators, "I can emphatically say that at no time did I ever use my own sample for insemination nor was I a donor. You really have no idea who you are anymore.. Then we hear from Ballard, who points out that most of the biological Cline kids have blond hair and blue eyes. What made him, every day, wake up and decide to go into his work, masturbate, and place it, unknowingly, inside women without their consent? Ballard asks in the doc. Donald Cline was so perfect in his work that he was famous for being the first person in India to perform laparoscopic surgery. And that was it. "Our Father" tells the story of Dr. Donald Cline. Ballards mother, Debbie Pierce, sought Clines help with getting pregnant in 1979, after it was determined that her husband couldnt have children naturally. The Cline fertility fraud and similar doctor-donated sperm cases exposed a lack of legislation specific to infertility patients' and their children's rights. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Stream It Or Skip It: 'Disconnect: The Wedding Planner' on Netflix, A Nollywood Rom-Com, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Sunday Affair' on Netflix, a Lukewarm Nollywood Love-Triangle Drama, Stream It or Skip It: 'Welcome to Valentine' on Hallmark, Where a CEO-In-Waiting Makes the Mistake of Driving a Classic Car through a Small Town, Stream It Or Skip It: The Romantics on Netflix, A Docuseries About Bollywoods Auteur Director Yash Chopra, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Man Called Otto' on VOD, Starring Tom Hanks as a Stereotypical Grumpy Old Man, Chris Rock Will Finally Address SlapGate In Netflix Comedy Special, Where Was We Have a Ghost Filmed? In 2015, central Indiana resident Jacoba Ballard took an at-home DNA test that . "[11] Ballard then pursued media coverage. Because of Clines lack of cooperation and the unknown number of patients he had the opportunity to inseminate up until he stopped practicing in 2009, there is no way to know for sure how many siblings there may be. Cline's current whereabouts, as far as we can tell, are unknown. Its almost like were like this perfect Aryan clan Most of us have blond hair and blue eyes.. The results confirmed a 99.9997% probability of paternity. In the film, directed by Lucie Jourdan of "Taken at Birth" fame, Ballard and a handful of her siblings theorize that breeding an all-white brood in an effort to preserve the Caucasian race may have. Hes known in our community as a philanthropist. The healthy baby justified the lie. We confirm if Donald Cline is still alive, reveal how many children he has fathered, and discuss other doctors who have committed the same act. I live down the street over there, and my mom lives in town here.. Netflix is set to release a documentary this Wednesday, May 11. [21] S.E.A. States that Cline was a renowned fertility specialist in Indiana 's actions, and yet... 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