Couple claim IVF group used ‘wrong sperm’

A Queensland couple claims a major fertility clinic made a “catastrophic error” and used the “wrong sperm” in their IVF treatments, after discovering their eldest son is not related to their two youngest boys.

Anastasia and Lexie Gunn paid for the same sperm donor to be used when their three sons were conceived through the state’s largest IVF clinic, the Queensland Fertility Group (QFG) between 2006 and 2014.

However, DNA testing later revealed their oldest son is not biologically related to his two brothers, who have both suffered serious health issues from birth.

“It’s a catastrophic error … how could they have used the wrong sperm to make children?” Anastasia told ABC’s Four Corners program.

The mother-of-three carefully selected a sperm donor through QFG – owned by Australia’s largest IVF provider, Virtus Health – to start their family in 2006.

“Medical background was definitely of concern to me,” she told the program.

Anastasia eventually decided on Donor 227, a healthy caucasian male aged between 25–30 years old.

Four years after their son’s birth, Anastasia and Lexie contacted QFG to ask if they could use the same donor to conceive more children and were given the green light.

Anastasia claimed the couple were very clear in their communication that they wanted Donor 227 to be used.

“We wanted them all to have the same biological father to tie them together so that then when they have children, their children are all tied together with biological history,” she explained.

The couple went on to welcome two more sons, born two years apart, who have been diagnosed with medical issues.

Their second son was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue.

Their youngest was diagnosed with ADHD, joint hypermobility syndrome, and is on the autism spectrum.

Wanting to learn if other children of Donor 227 had similar health issues, the couple sent their sons’ DNA to an ancestry website in hopes of finding other families.

Anastasia was left “completely perplexed”.

“I could see that there was no match between our eldest boy and our younger two,” she said.

Anastasia rang Lexie “hysterical” to break the news.

“She was so upset and just kept saying they gave us the wrong sperm, the boys don’t match. And I was just … I couldn’t believe it,” said Lexie.

QFG reportedly doubted the accuracy of the DNA results. But when the DNA was later tested by an accredited lab used by the Family Law Court, it returned the same results.

Anastasia said they provided the results to QFG in January 2023 but the clinic has “completely denied” the wrong sperm was used.

“They have offered no rationale.”

After DNA testing and hundreds of hours of work, Anastasia said the couple discovered the two younger boys match another donor, who presented to the clinic and delivered his specimen on the same day as Donor 227.

The clinic claims its records show the same donor was used for all three children, according to the ABC.

It told the program it was unable to comment on the details of the family’s claim while it was before the courts.

“We are keen to work with them to find a mutually acceptable resolution,” it said.

In a statement on its website, QFC said it acknowledges “the difficulties that the Gunns have faced since we helped them to start their family and we are keen to work with them to find a mutually acceptable resolution”.

“QFG is unable to make public comments about the details of the Gunn family’s legal claim while they are being considered by the Court,” it stated.

ABC also spoke to three mothers who used the same donor and whose children were later diagnosed with autism-related disorders.

After a third mother informed the clinic about her two children’s diagnoses, QFG made the decision that other families with donor-conceived children should be informed, but only about the diagnosis of autism, the ABC reports.

The donor is still being used by QFG to conceive children.

The clinic told the ABC the donor sperm was only available to patients who had previously used the donor and wanted to expand their family. It later told the outlet one family used the donor and were not informed of the diagnoses.

Determined to hold the clinic accountable, Anastasia and Lexie are now suing QFG.

Lexie said she would go so far as to sell her kidneys if the money was needed to fight the case.

“I think it’s a very dangerous thing to underestimate all mothers, but particularly mothers of children with disabilities,” said Anastasia.

“I think they’ve messed with the wrong women.”