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Donor's Genetic Ticking Time Bomb: 197 Children at Risk
10 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Sperm donor's genetic mutation drastically raises cancer risk.
- At least 197 children across Europe were unknowingly fathered.
- Some children have already died; many will face cancer.
An alarming investigation has revealed that a sperm donor unknowingly carried a genetic mutation that dramatically elevates cancer risk. This mutation has led him to father at least 197 children across various European nations. Tragically, some of these children have already succumbed to the illness.
Those who inherited the mutation face a significantly heightened likelihood of developing cancer throughout their lives. While the affected sperm was not distributed to UK clinics, a small number of British families who underwent fertility treatment in Denmark have been informed they used this donor.
The European Sperm Bank, which supplied the sperm, has extended its deepest sympathies to the affected families. The bank admitted to allowing the donor's sperm to be used for an excessive number of births in certain countries, exacerbating the reach of this genetic risk.
