Download Interview Notes on Donor 2422 - The Sperm Bank of California

THE SPERM BANK OF CALIFORNIA
2115 Milvia Street
Suite 201
Berkeley, CA 94704
phone 510-841-1858
fax 510-841-0332
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.thespermbankofca.org
Donor #2602
Interview Notes
Donor 2602 was a delight to interview as he is a very open, intelligent young man. I got the
sense that he was raised with discipline and high standards for achievement, as well as a lot of
love. He mentioned that he focused on his studies throughout high school, and that it wasn’t until
he took a year off after high school to be a foreign exchange student in Germany that he learned
to relax and party a little. Although he’s only a college freshman, he has already selected a
major—computer-designed electrical engineering; he says he can’t imagine not studying hard
sciences, as he feels these will be the most useful down the road. However, he’s equally
comfortable with liberal arts (he plays French Horn and enjoys reading fiction), and his current
career fantasies include being a ski instructor for a year and joining the Peace Corps after
college.
I was impressed by how much Donor 2602 genuinely loves and appreciates his family. His father
took the entire family to France for his sabbatical year when the donor was ten, and the donor
commented that he and his siblings had had a great experience attending French school together.
He spoke enthusiastically about how beloved his mother is by his friends and about how much
his younger sister has blossomed as a leader in high school. He has an unusually healthy
family—with the exception of his paternal grandfather, who died of a heart attack at 56, all the
donor’s grandparents are fit and active in their 70s.
The donor is an exceptionally handsome young man. He has large brown eyes, beautiful rosy
skin, and a tall, fit physique that reflects his years as a lifeguard.
Donor 2602 has mild red-green color blindness. Red-green color blindness is caused by a
common X-linked recessive gene and affects about 10% of men. “X-linked” refers to the fact
that the gene for color-blindness is carried on the X chromosome. Since men have only one X
chromosome, they will be color-blind if they inherit the gene for color-blindness from their
genetic mothers. Since women have two X chromosomes, they will be color-blind only if they
inherit the gene for color-blindness from both genetic parents.
Offspring conceived using this donor have no chance of being color-blind unless their mother
carries the gene for color-blindness. Male offspring conceived using this donor can not inherit
color-blindness from the donor. Female offspring conceived using this donor will be carriers for
color-blindness, which means they have a 50% chance of passing the trait on to their sons.
Interviewer: Cathy W.
Date: February 21, 2002