March 1, 2006 -- Some women find friends at book clubs or church socials, but the Internet is spawning a new kind of sisterhood — between women who share the same sperm donor. A group of 11 bold, independent women from around the country have recently met online and forged this new kind of relationship after discovering their children were sired by the same donor from a Virginia fertility clinic: known only as donor 401. "It's an emotional connection. We have a common base," one of the moms, Carla Schouten, 43, of San Jose, Calif., told The Washington Post. "Most of us are single. We all desired children and we were all attracted to the same donor."
On the site http://DonorSiblingRegistry.com., Schouten recently met Leann Mischel, 41, of Pennsylvania, who had also been impregnated by the donor from the Fairfax Cryobank sperm bank.
The women grew so close after chatting about their lives and kids, that Schouten sent an extra vial of the donor's material to Mischel so she could have a second child who'd be a full sibling to her son.
The 11 women do not know the identity of the man who is the father of their children, the paper said. Fairfax Cryobank keeps the identity of their donors a closely guarded secret - and only refers to the man in discussions with the women as "donor 401."
While it is not known if he has donated to more than the 11 women who met online, some things are known about him: he likely lives near Washington, D.C., is 6-foot-4 and athletic, has a master's degree and is of German heritage.
Most of the preferred donors at Fairfax Cryobank have advanced degrees. A premium of $425 is put on the sperm of a doctor, lawyer or Ph.D.
But Schouten said Mr. 401 stood out not because of his brain or body, but because of a line in an essay about himself in which he calls his own mother "a ray of light."
"Such a nice guy," she told the paper.
"He was tall and so am I," explained Carolyn George, 34, of Oklahoma, whose youngest child, Connor, 2, is the biological son of 401. "He seemed likable."
The women helped to have children by Mr. 401 insist that they are not plotting a way to find out who he is and try to start a relationship with him, according to The Washington Post.
"Some doors are better left closed," said Louisa Weix, 43, who has twin girls by 401. "All of us get a little queasy about the idea of invading someone's privacy."
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