779, This story has been shared 541 times. It's unclear if Cline is actually the one speaking in the recording. He's going to grandchildren's swim meets and things like that. He was a monster in the guise of a savior, and Lucie Jourdan's outraged . Cline has passed on ailments and diseases to his children As mentioned throughout the documentary, many of the Cline children have autoimmune diseases. As a result, it saw the former doctor fathering at least 50 children throughout the 1970s and '80s. Our Father ultimately succeeds in its mission of bringing the siblings story into the spotlightand presciently emphasizes the fraught framework by which it is surrounded. Jody Madeira, a law professor at Indiana University, notes in the film that "in order for him to produce this sperm sample, he had to masturbate in very close proximity to the office where a patient was waiting." A new Netflix documentary tells the sickening true story of Dr. Donald Cline, a fertility specialist who inseminated patients with his own spermresulting in at least 94 children. [b][19] Ballard lobbied the state of Indiana for change. Although some scenes in the upcoming documentary could be fictional or dramatized, the plot is true. Shore worked with Cline for 13 years. Come on," he says. Despite his later admittance and the scale of his actions, nailing down a route to prosecution is difficult. One of his former patients interviewed for the Atlantic story, Liz White, told the magazine the former doctor lives down the street over there. Its almost like were like this perfect Aryan clan Most of us have blond hair and blue eyes.. "No consent. In 2019, Indiana passed a state law (opens in new tab) in response to Cline's actions, with several of his victims and biological children helping push it through. He was going to use medical students their sperm.. Another points out the consistency of their shared traits: blond hair and blue eyes, adding: Its almost like this perfect Aryan clan.. . When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. 344, This story has been shared 331 times. An only child who was donor-conceived, she was always curious about whether she had any half siblings. His sperm wouldnt even have been allowed to be a donor because of that, Hyatt said, noting the intense health screening most sperm donors undergo for any inheritable diseases or deficiencies. Each time she saw a new connection appear on her profile, shed steel herself before reaching out to deliver the news. We educated Indianas legislators, got our bill passed, and not going to stop.. It teases the story of Dr. Donald Cline, a former fertility doctor who used his own sperm in donations which resulted in his fathering at least 50 children throughout the 1970s and '80s. (An actor for Cline is used in other parts of the film to re-create scenes). This was a team effort full of a lot of sacrifice, dedication, and persistence. Two of them lived on the same street. The results confirmed a 99.9997% probability of paternity. Dr. Donald Cline was once a respected fertility doctor from Indianapolis, Indiana. What the fuuuuuuuuuuuuck pic.twitter.com/RTCyUUbkpw, Our Father hit Netflix on May 11, full of twists, emotionally wrenching interviews and more sort-of-distracting reenactments than I thought there'd be. If that. Jourdan told The Guardian that "he's active around his community. But Clines wrongdoings, tragically, felt even more personal for Kramer. In the film, directed by Lucie Jourdan of "Taken at Birth" fame, Ballard and a handful of her siblings theorize that breeding an all-white brood in an effort to preserve the Caucasian race may have. But former friend and colleague Mark. Netflix: The 43 Absolute Best Movies to Watch, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [29], Donald Cline's fertility fraud is the subject of a Netflix documentary titled Our Father which premiered in May 2022. It was only through DNA testing records that his biological children found out that Cline had been using his own sperm. "It's almost like we're this perfect Aryan clan," she says. Nearly all of the half siblings, including Ballard, are afflicted with chorionic autoimmune diseases. In 2015, central Indiana resident Jacoba Ballard took an at-home DNA test that . He didnt give me a choice.. But in 2014, within several blocks of Cline's clinic, Jacoba Ballard, a local resident, got her DNA test results back from genealogy company 23andme. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Netflix's new true crime documentary "Our Father" will introduce the world to an . If you can stomach another tale about a rogue fertility doctor, the 2020 film is streaming on HBO Max. [20] On May 17, 2019, Indiana became the first state to designate fertility fraud as a Level 6 felony. ET An explosive documentary on Netflix takes a new look at the life and work of Dr. Donald Cline, an Indiana University graduate who opened his infamous fertility clinic in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1979. His shoe size averages 10 (U.S) and 9 (U.K). The film also shows Ballard explaining how she learned about the Quiverfull movement. One he also represented himself as a keynote speaker at the International Symposium for Infertility in Bologna, Italy. He was my main GYN He did my pap exams, he did breast exams.. She considers this adultery. I [told my husband], Unfortunately, Dr. Cline didnt use your sperm, he used his own. Little is known about Donald Cline's wife Susie, but according to the film the couple had two children - Donna and . This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 01:14. 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The documentary arrives to Netflix on May 11. (There's even another documentary about a similar case in Nevada, HBO's Baby God (opens in new tab).) In 2014, at 35, the Indiana natives wish came true when she took a 23andMe DNA test and discovered that she had at least seven half brothers and sisters living within a 25-mile radius of her. [2]. Doctor Donald Cline's crimes were brought to light thanks to an investigation by FOX59's Angela Ganote. Jacoba Ballard discovered her mother's fertility doctor in Indianapolis used his own sperm during insemination. The healthy baby justified the lie. But Ballards lifelong dream of having a big family quickly warped as her half-sibling matches ballooned. When the county prosecutors finally investigated Cline, the results were disappointing to the siblings, the women he inseminated, and their families. Donald Cline, who was once described as the "best infertility doctor in Indianapolis", was known for being a premier fertility expert in the 1970s to 1990s. According to the Netflix documentary, "Our Father," that isn't always the case. Hes got autoimmune disease, said Jason Hyatt, one of the disgraced doctors biological children. At the time, Indiana law didn't specifically prohibit fertility doctors from using their own sperm. "Our Father" tells the story of Dr. Donald Cline. Season 5 Return Date Info, Love 'Yellowstone'? Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. The film, which premieres on Netflix on May 11, follows the biological children of the disgraced fertility doctor who covertly inseminated dozens of patients with his own sperm during his 40-year career. In an interlocutory appeal, a panel of Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court's decision, finding that "Matthew sufficiently stated breach of contract and tort claims for which relief can be granted. and Indianapolis Infertility, Inc", "Ex-fertility doctor who used own sperm must face civil lawsuit, COA affirms", "Fertility doctor Donald Cline pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice related to claims he inseminated some patients", "Fertility Fraud: A Fertility Industry Danger", "A press for justice on reproductive fraud", "6 questions for woman who brought down fertility doctor", "Zipping into statutes: Overview of new laws for 2019", "Legislative Update: Fertility fraud and deception", "Fertility Doctors Used Their Sperm to Get Patients Pregnant. ", Woock believes that Cline's actions remained secret for so long because "most of our parents didn't openly talk about their infertility struggles with loved ones. From the 1970s through the 1990s, Donald Cline was a renowned fertility specialist in Indiana. By Gina Tron. Keith Boyle as Dr. Donald Cline in "Our Father" (Netflix) Netflix's latest documentary feature "Our Father" is an intricate real-life horror tale about fertility fraud that manages to grow. Cline's own auto-immune condition, rheumatoid arthritis, would have excluded him as an eligible sperm donor at his own clinic.[26]. In the film, directed by Lucie Jourdan of Taken at Birth fame, Ballard and a handful of her siblings theorize that breeding an all-white brood in an effort to preserve the Caucasian race may have been Clines motivation for wrongfully impregnating hordes of his patients with his own sperm. A judge suspended the former doctor's sentence, though Cline did pay a $500 fine and court costs, which totaled $185. The Our Father documentary describes an event involving Don Cline as a motorist running over a child, killing her. Cline was a successful fertility doctor who practiced medicine in Indiana, providing treatments such as IVF for hundreds if not thousands of patients, according to IndyStar. They contacted the offices of the Marion County prosecutor and attorney general of Indiana, asserting Clines medical practices were tantamount to rape and asking for an investigation, but proceedings were slow, much to their frustration. In 2014 when Jacoba Ballard, a daughter of a former patient of Dr. Cline, reviewed the results of her at-home DNA test, . We want to hear it. [a] Her genetic genealogy research ultimately revealed Cline, her mother's fertility doctor, as her biological father. Hes known in our community as a philanthropist. According to prosecutors at the time, however, Cline did not commit rape against the women he inseminated with his own sperm without their knowledge or consent. The stories of some of these women and the (at least) 94 biological children of Cline are told in a new documentary, Our Father, which premiered on Netflix in May. Is '12 Desperate Hours' on Lifetime Based On a True Story? Three more are pending.[9]. Ballard says patients need to be vigilant. As per the documentary, Cline retired from medicine in 2009, and . Her search led her to a shocking discovery. "To get away with it for decades and no one knew anything. When Will 'Jesus Revolution' Movie Be Streaming? Sibling Matt White suggests in the film that someone must have known that Cline was inseminating women with his own sperm. As one man states in the trailer, there was no legal. The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. Ballard, 41, and her half siblings' quest to find answers and justice is the focus of the new Netflix documentary, Our Father, produced by Blumhouse Television, which is streaming now. 384, This story has been shared 344 times. The film explores the real-life story of the disgraced doctor, who . A lifelong fan of memes (and writing), she's currently in her dream gig. The Quiverfull motion is a Christian-based philosophy held by some {couples} who take into account massive households blessings from God. Cline did not respond to The Posts request for a comment. He was given a one-year suspended sentence and served no jail time, the Associated Press reports. Parents who desperately wanted. New Netflix documentary Our Father tells the story of how DNA testing brought Donald Cline's use of his own sperm in dozens of his own patients throughout the '70s and '80s to light. "The reason I decided to tell my story in Our Father is because it's incredibly important to me to spread awareness about fertility fraud and hopefully create some meaningful change for patients across the world," Ballard tells PEOPLE. But, thanks to a sympathetic judge and a lack of criminal history, he ended up not serving any jail time and simply paying a $500 fine. In 2016, Cline was charged with two charges of felony obstruction of justice: for lying to the attorney general's office about using his sperm with two victims; and for threatening Ballard with lawsuits for "slander and libel". Magazines, Digital I don't know," he says in the film. In 2014, Jacoba Ballard decided to take an at-home DNA test. His practice was located in Indianapolis, where several patients would consult him regarding . The Cline fertility fraud and similar doctor-donated sperm cases exposed a lack of legislation specific to infertility patients' and their children's rights. "It's okay to raise any flags or questions throughout your treatment to try to ensure that you are receiving ethical and proper care. 1,076, This story has been shared 968 times. "Because someone is in a position of power or authority, [it] doesn't always make them completely trustworthy," she says. The filmmakers behind Our Father, including director/producer Lucie Jourdan, say they were moved to tell the story of the siblings and their parents in order to help them condemn Clines actions to a broad audience when it became clear the court had failed. NY 10036. "Uh, this is Dr. Cline, You know, I thought I was doing the right thing. The doctor's actions were revealed by one of his children, Jacoba Ballard. Absolutely not." They all shared a father, fertility doctor Donald Cline. Unfortunately, the answer is as shocking as the documentary itself. The film emphasizes how Clines faith, which developed after he accidentally struck and killed a young girl with his car, pervaded his practice as a doctor. Unfortunately for White, Ballard and the rest of the clinicians descendants, sickness, they claim, runs through Clines blood. Despite. He told us that he would match us with a donor that looked like my husband, said Pierce. Our Father suggests Cline may have been motivated by ideology born of his affiliation with an extremist Christian sect called Quiverfull, which encourages followers to reproduce as prolifically as possible to meet Gods mandate to be fruitful and multiply, and install adherents in positions of power. The film interviews several of Cline's genetically linked children, including Jacoba Ballard, who took an at-home DNA test as an adult and discovered she had seven half-siblings. After . He lives within just a few blocks of some of the children he fathered without their mothers consent. Paris Hilton Explains Why She Chose to Welcome Her Baby Boy Via Surrogacy, R. Kelly Has Been Sentenced to 20 Years for Sex Crimes Against Minors. Todays biggest stories, from pop culture to politicsdelivered straight to your inbox. The Netflix documentary, directed by Lucie Jourdan, heavily hinted at Cline's strong religious beliefs motivating his misdeeds. But theres eight of us, whats going on here?. Meet Storm Reid. But legally theres just no crime that touches this particular act.. Our marriage will be over. Because of Clines lack of cooperation and the unknown number of patients he had the opportunity to inseminate up until he stopped practicing in 2009, there is no way to know for sure how many siblings there may be. Quinci LeGardye is a Contributing Culture Editor who covers TV, movies, Korean entertainment, books, and pop culture. Don Cline was also my fertility doctor, she tearfully confesses on camera. So where is Dr. Don Cline now? An actor portrays Cline in Netflix's new true crime doc. It teases the story of Dr. Donald Cline, a former fertility doctor who used his own sperm in donations, which resulted in his fathering at least 50 children throughout the 1970s and '80s. Its disgusting to sit there and lay in bed at night, wondering if the person that created you is some racist bigot, said Ballard of Cline, now 84. The film, which features interviews with the parents and their children, as well as others close to the situation, chronicles the siblings path to uncovering the truth of their biological parentage, and spotlights their fury and resolve as they failed to see Cline answer for his crimes in court. Used in other parts of the Cline children have autoimmune diseases on and. Culture to politicsdelivered straight to your inbox said Jason Hyatt, one of the clinicians descendants,,. Is used in other parts of the children he fathered without their mothers consent in other parts of Cline! If Cline is actually the one speaking in the guise of a savior, and persistence thing! 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