A mother from Idaho has filed suit against her former gynecologist in Washington state, alleging he did something horrifying during an artificial insemination in 1989.
Sharon Hayes, 67, claims her doctor, David Claypool, promised her the sperm he used to help her conceive was that of a medical student. But through a DNA test, her daughter, Brianna Hayes, 34, reportedly discovered her biological father was Claypool. Sharon Hayes feels violated, and she and her daughter want answers.
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Sharon Hayes and her husband tried to conceive on their own but were unsuccessful.
According to the lawsuit, when she and her former husband could not conceive a baby independently, she sought help from Claypool, Good Morning America reported. The doctor allegedly collected $100 from the couple for sperm that "would be provided by college and/or medical students."
Sharon Hayes had some conditions regarding the sperm donor.
Per the lawsuit, Sharon Hayes reportedly asked that the donor have similar physical features to her husband. She also wanted the sperm to be screened for any genetic issues. She gave birth to her daughter in June 1990. She reportedly did not disclose to Brianna, however, that she was conceived via a sperm donor.
Her daughter told KXLY-TV that she took a DNA test in 2022 in hopes of finding answers about some health issues she faced and found out the man who raised her was not her biological father.
The test results shocked the family.
The concerned daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at age 4 and Epstein-Barr virus in high school, according to the Seattle Times. She explained to the newspaper that she was so ill she almost didn't graduate.
"I was trying to see what my predispositions are for further issues," Brianna Hayes explained. "What could be in my genetics? I was just trying to be informed."
The DNA test results connected her to 16 siblings, she said, according to KXLY-TV. Upon further investigation, she reportedly discovered that Claypool was her real father.
Needless to say, the family was stunned.
Sharon Hayes feels violated.
"I was sick. I felt like a science experiment," she told the Times.
The lawsuit claims Claypool violated Washington's malpractice statute, requiring doctors to obtain informed consent from patients for treatment, according to the newspaper. It also violates the Consumer Protection Act, the lawsuit claims.
"He just needs to be held accountable," Sharon Hayes told the Times.
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Claypool reportedly has no memory of Sharon Hayes.
He told the newspaper he didn't know Hayes but assured the Times that he never had an issue. "I know people are very happy," Claypool, who is now retired, reportedly remarked about former patients. "But this is the first I've heard of anything in 40 years."
The family hopes their story will change laws in Washington and across the country. They don't want Claypool — or any other doctor — to get away with such a sinister crime.
"It was shocking to find out who my father was," Brianna Hayes told KXLY. "I feel offput that I'm a product of his violation."
