Mom Locates Son’s Half-Siblings with Online Sperm Donor Registry Site

Thanks to one woman's determination, three half-brothers have gotten a chance to meet in person -- something that may never have taken place if she had not been curious.

When Ellie Silverwood learned that she could not conceive naturally with her then-husband, she decided to find a sperm donor. In 2007, she gave birth to her son, Max. Silverwood knew only a few details about her donor: he had blue eyes, he was fluent in four languages, he played the saxophone, and he went by the alias Dane 1421.

Over the years, Silverwood began wondering if her son had any siblings, so she joined a website called Donor Sibling Registry, which connects families of children conceived from donors. After posting about the donor's alias, she received messages from nine families over a two-year period, and she discovered that Max had eight half-brothers and three half-sisters.

Max got a chance to meet two of his brothers when he flew with his mom from the U.K. to the United States to spend time with Liam and Grant, who have different mothers. All three boys have blue eyes, blond hair, and similar facial features. Silverwood said the experience was "hugely emotional." She added, "They also have the same outgoing sparky characters and they all loved playing Angry Birds."

Silverwood hopes that all 12 siblings will one day meet in person.

[Related: Sperm donor dad, lesbian couple reach agreement]

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