Although Laura High has a brain tumor, she claims that this is not what makes her unique.
High is a stand-up comedian who makes jokes about being a millennial and residing in New York City as part of his act. High makes fun of her donor conception and her quest to find her biological father.
At a recent event in New York City, High made light of his situation by saying, “I’m what occurs when a lady has to become a mother and a man needs $200.”
Despite everyone’s laughter, High said that she is pushing for effective measures to defend those who were born through donation and give them access to their medical data.
High, 34, who was born without knowing who their real parent was, stated, “It’s astonishing to learn and to find out how many donor-conceived people there are especially in my age group, who have never been told, and who only found out by accident via a DNA test.”
High claimed that when she was 14 years old, her parents revealed that she was conceived with donor sperm.
Many years later, after becoming engaged, she decided to get her own DNA tested because she claimed she was afraid that the man she loved might be her half-brother.
Since I reside in the same city as my donor and the bulk of my siblings most likely reside there as well, High explained. “I don’t know if my neighbor has siblings. I am clueless.”
High claimed she took a DNA test and identified three of her biological siblings, despite learning she and her fiancé were unrelated.
The siblings shared the same inherited health conditions. In High’s instance, a brain tumor was discovered in 2016.
Without medical records, according to High, doctors cannot confirm that the condition is genetically based, but this is assumed given the medical histories of her biological siblings.
High claims that when she and her siblings went to see her father, he wouldn’t allow them access to his medical records, which High claims would have made it easier to detect her brain tumor earlier.
High said that she, her siblings, and they all suffer from hormonal conditions that, in her instance, increased her likelihood of acquiring a brain tumor. When she was just 13, she claimed she received a diagnosis.
Since the tumor effectively renders me sterile while it is still inside my skull, High added, “I’m really happy I detected it in time before I needed surgery and before I started trying to have children.” “Thank God I caught it now. It takes a year for it to reduce in size.
High is fighting to have access to her own medical data and to open doors for other donor-conceived people while she continues her therapy.
A law that has been put out in High’s home state of New York would demand that contributors disclose their diagnosed medical illnesses, familial medical conditions, doctors they have seen, the names of the schools they attended, and any felony convictions they may have.
The Donor Conceived Person Protection Act would compel fertility clinics to make updated medical data available to people who were conceived through donation.
High stated that the procedure “is not only going to save my life, but it’s also going to potentially save the lives of my children,” adding that recipients of organ donation “are just asking for the same knowledge you would get if you knew your parents.”
The measure, S7602A, is sponsored by Democrat and state senator from New York, Patrick Gallivan. He asserted that he thought the majority of people were unaware of the existing lax laws governing the fertility industry.
The exact response I had, according to people, Gallivan told ABC News. They are really stunned so far.
In New York, there is no necessity for screening for mental health, physical health, or criminal histories in order to be a donor, according to Gallivan, who also noted that state standards differ.
Sperm donors must undergo testing within a week after their donation, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. A 2020 FDA leaflet states that while donations are tested for nine STDs, specific donors may also be tested for additional STDs.
In accordance with Gallivan’s proposal, a doctor would not use a donor’s reproductive tissue if the receiver did not provide their consent, and actions would be taken against fertility fraud. The measure would make it an aggravated assault offense for a doctor to use a donation that a patient had not authorized.
According to High, the sperm donor her mother received was not the one she and her parents wanted. She said that she eventually discovered her biological father to be a friend and coworker of her mother’s OB-GYN.
On TikTok, where she has more than 10 million likes on her site, High has spoken in favor of Gallivan’s plan.
According to Gallivan, his law will assist give New York’s fertility processes some structure. For instance, it is currently lawful for a physician to replace a pledged sperm donation with any other donor or a physician’s own sample.
A definition of professional misconduct for doctors, physician assistants, and specialized assistants is also included in the proposed legislation. According to Gallivan, fertility clinics would have to reveal donor details such medical histories, prior convictions, and doctor visits.
The proposed law would mandate that information be updated as donors age and more possible medical conditions are discovered as youngsters grow into adults.
Republican state senator from New York, George Borrello, said there is no justification for donor-conceived children to experience mental and physical health problems when genetic testing and background checks are freely accessible.
You have options if you purchase a used automobile with issues, according to Borrello. “In this, a life, a human being, is being discussed.”
Although no one from the reproductive sector has contacted Gallivan and Borrello’s offices directly, they highlighted that this is one of the few bipartisan initiatives they believe everyone can support.
Gallivan and Borrello claim they are pressuring their colleagues to see the need for this law in the New York Senate’s Health Committee, where the bill is now under consideration.
While there are other bills dealing with donor anonymity around the United States, this is the only one that would formally grant access to medical data for people who were created through donation.
Six reproductive clinics in the New York region were contacted by ABC News for comments on the measure. No one has replied.
The New York bill is a wonderful beginning, but legislation must take the fertility business as a whole into consideration, according to Richard Vaughn, the founder of the International Fertility Law Group.
According to Vaughn, the situation involving donor-conceived people and their right to information resembles a love triangle. He claimed that although the bill solely considers the protection of the children, donor-conceived children, donors, and parents all need to be represented.
Nobody disputes the fact that it’s crucial for children born via donor conception to know their medical background and genetic pedigree, according to Vaughn. So the challenge is striking a balance between all three, with medical professionals serving as the intermediary.
According to Vaughn, in his practice, around half of parents decide to inform their children if they were conceived with a donor.
The challenge, according to Vaughn, is striking a balance between the family’s wellbeing and donor accessibility. There is a worry, he said, that as personal information about donors becomes more readily available, less individuals would donate.
All donations should be visible, according to Vaughn. Knowing that you don’t actually need to hide this is healthy for the donor-conceived children as well as the parents.
Susan Crockin, a professor of law at Georgetown University who specializes in fertility ethics, asserted that she thinks New York’s law may signal the beginning of a widespread trend.
She expressed her hope that new legislation wouldn’t be overly burdensome for providers, requiring them to thoroughly research each donor.å
My main wish is that we have rules that are sensible, that offer greater assurances, so donors don’t hesitate to give, but that we also provide more background information and context about each person, Crockin continued.
