SUMMER REPLAY: Barwin's other casualties
Revelations that Norman Barwin was the biological father of two of his patients' children made headlines. But that news overshadowed other improprieties at his clinic. There were many.
In November 2016, I broke the story that Norman Barwin, one of the most celebrated fertility doctors in Canada, was the biological father of two of his patients' children. (Now we know there are at least 24.) It was shocking. But much less has been said about the many other people affected by what happened at his clinic.
"The majority of people contacting us fall into these other categories," said Frances Shapiro Munn, at Nelligan O'Brien Payne, the firm that handled the lawsuit against Barwin. "The implications and fallout are just as severe for these people as for those conceived through Barwin's sperm."
The total settlement, agreed in 2021, was $13.375 million. In the end, there were 276 approved claims through the class action. Payouts to class members varied based on the type of claim.
Below I list the many ways in which people have been affected.
This item was originally published in HeyReprotech on 16 October 2018.
4 minute read
Among the wronged
Men who deposited sperm with Barwin, who had children they believed were their biological children, who learned the children were from a sperm donor
Men who deposited sperm with Barwin, who had children they believed were their biological children, who learned the children were conceived with someone else’s sperm, not yet identified
Men who deposited sperm with Barwin, who had children they believed were their biological children, who learned the children were the biological children of another patient in Barwin's clinic
Men who deposited sperm with Barwin, who had children they believed were their biological children, who learned the children were the biological children of Barwin
Men who deposited sperm with Barwin, who had multiple children they believed were their biological children, who learned that one of their children was their biological child and another was conceived with someone else’s sperm
Men who deposited sperm with Barwin, who had multiple children they believed were their biological children, who learned the children were each conceived using different sperm, none his
Men who deposited sperm with Barwin prior to infertility-inducing cancer treatment, who had children they believed were their biological children, who learned they were not biologically related
Men who deposited sperm with Barwin, whose sperm was used to father children in other people's families
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Women who had multiple children, whose children were to be full siblings, from the same sperm donor, whose children were found not to been conceived using the same sperm donor
Women who were in a same-sex relationship, who each carried a child, whose children's only biological connection to each other would be through the sperm donor, but whose children were not conceived using the same sperm donor
Women who were to be inseminated with sperm from a specified donor, who were inseminated with someone else's sperm, not yet unidentified
Women who were to be inseminated by their husband's sperm, but who were inseminated with someone else's sperm, not yet identified
Women who were to be inseminated by their husband’s sperm, but who were inseminated with a sperm donor’s sperm
Women who were to be inseminated by their husband’s sperm, but who were inseminated with another patient’s sperm
Women who had two offspring who were to be conceived with their husbands' sperm, who discovered only one was conceived with the husband’s sperm, the other being conceived with someone else’s sperm
Women who were to be inseminated with sperm from a specified sperm donor, but who were inseminated with Barwin's sperm
Women who were to be inseminated with their husband's sperm, but who were inseminated with Barwin's sperm
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Offspring who were supposed to be conceived using specified donor sperm, but who found out they were conceived using sperm from another donor, now identified
Offspring who were supposed to be conceived using specified donor sperm, but who found out they were conceived using someone else’s sperm, not yet identified
Offspring who were supposed to be conceived using specified donor sperm, but who found out they were conceived using the sperm of another patient in Barwin's clinic
Offspring who were supposed to be conceived using specified donor sperm, but who found out they were conceived using Barwin's sperm
Offspring who grew up believing they were full siblings, conceived using the same sperm donor, who found out they were conceived with different donors
Offspring who were supposed to be conceived using their father's sperm, who grew up believing their father was their biological father, who have found out that they were conceived using a donor's sperm
Offspring who were supposed to be conceived using their father's sperm, who grew up believing their father was their biological father, who do not know who their biological father is
Offspring who were supposed to be conceived using their father's sperm, who grew up believing their father was their biological father, who have found out that they were conceived using the sperm of another patient in Barwin's clinic
Offspring who were supposed to be conceived using their father’s sperm, who grew up believing their father was their biological father, who have found out they were conceived using Barwin’s sperm
Offspring who grew up believing they were half-siblings, connected through their sperm donor, who found out they were conceived with sperm from different men
Offspring who grew up believing they were full siblings, conceived using the same sperm donor, who found out that their biological fathers are different, and one of them is Barwin
Offspring who grew up believing they were full siblings and that their father was their biological father, who found out only one of them is the biological child of their father and the other does not know who their biological father is
Related links
Alison Motluk. "Lawsuit claims fertility doctor used his own sperm to inseminate patients." Globe and Mail. 02 Nov 2016.
Alison Motluk. "And that's why everything is different." The Current. 02 Nov 2016.
Alison Motluk. "Uncommon ancestry." Hazlitt. 07 Mar 2017.
Aviva Coopersmith. "The Lie That Made Me." Toronto Life. 22 Feb 2022.
This item was edited lightly from the original for improved clarity.