Woman conceived by Duke University fertility doctor shares story in hopes of raising awareness
CRISIS.
>> TONIGHT WE'RE HEARING NEW
REACTION FROM A WOMAN WHOSE
LIFE WAS TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
AFTER A DNA TEST REVEALED HER
REAL FATHER WAS A DUKE
FERTILITY DOCTOR. AND SHE HAS
AT LEAST 20 HALF SIBLINGS.
SOME OF THE CAST, IT SAYS SHE'S
NOW FOCUSED ON GETTING HER
STORY OUT TO EVEN MORE PEOPLE
AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE WHAT
HAPPENED TO HER FAMILY DOESN'T
HAPPEN AGAIN.
>> I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I WAS A
DONOR BABY. MUCH LESS FINDING
OUT THE EXACT SAME TIME THAT,
YOU KNOW, THE DOCTOR HAD USED
HIS FIRM AND I WAS A PRODUCT
OF A CRIME FOR SUMMER MCKESSON.
THE LAST 3 YEARS HAVE BEEN HEAD
SPINNING. THERE'S BEEN A
DIAGNOSIS WITH A PAIR OF
DANGEROUS GENETIC CONDITIONS,
INCLUDING MARFAN SYNDROME.
>> IT WAS THE REVELATION THAT
HER BIOLOGICAL FATHER IS IN
FACT, FORMER DUKE UNIVERSITY
HOSPITAL FERTILITY DOCTOR DR
CHARLES PETE, HE SEEMS TO HAVE
USED HIS OWN WHEN THE CASTINGS
MOTHER SOUGHT OUT IN ARTIFICIAL
INSEMINATION TREATMENT AND NOW
THEY'RE THE AFTER EFFECTS OF
GOING PUBLIC WITH THAT STORY.
OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FROM SO
MANY PEOPLE AND NOT EVEN JUST
FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE AND SAYS
SHE WENT PUBLIC HOPING TO BOARD
ANY OTHER UNKNOWN HALF SIBLINGS
OUT THEIR MOTHERS DESERVE.
>> TO KNOW THAT THIS HAPPENED
TO THEM AND THEN CHILDREN.
ALL OF THE HALF-SIBLINGS
DESERVE TO KNOW THEIR MEDICAL
HISTORY BECAUSE AND DOESN'T
KNOW HOW BIG HER BIOLOGICAL
FAMILY MAY ULTIMATELY BE.
>> BUT HER RESEARCH SUGGESTS
THIS COULD BE JUST THE
BEGINNING. SO IF I LOOK AT DATA
FROM SOME OF THE OF THE OTHER
SIBLING AND CARS AS THEY CALL
THEM.
>> THERE'S ONE THAT'S LIKE 15
YEARS. IT SPANS ACROSS AND THEY
HAVE OVER 100 AND HALF-SIBLINGS
AND OUR STORY SO FAR IS 21
YEARS. BUT IT SPANS ACROSS AND
JUST IN THE LAST WEEK THAT
FAMILY CIRCLE, HE'S GOTTEN
BIGGER. THE NEW HAVE SIBLING
WAS ADDED TO HER FAMILY TREE
WHEN SHE HOPES TO TALK TO TO
WALK HIM THROUGH HIS NEW
REALITY.
>> I REMEMBER HOW I FELT ON
THAT DAY AND I WANT TO BE ABLE
TO SUPPORT ANYONE ELSE THAT
JOINS THE SAME WAY THAT I WAS
SUPPORTED. AND REALLY, I MEAN,
JUST GUIDED THROUGH IT.
>> MCKESSON SAYS SHE NOW WANTS
TO PUSH NORTH CAROLINA STATE
LEGISLATURE TO TAKE ACTION.
BUT THE WHOLE DOCTORS LIKE HER
BIOLOGICAL FATHER, ACCOUNTABLE
AND PROTECT KIDS LIKE HER DR.
CHARLES PETE'S DIED IN 2013.
WE REACHED OUT TO DUKE HEALTH.
THEY SAID IN PART WE'VE BEEN
MADE AWARE OF AN ACCEPTABLE
ACTIONS BY AN INDIVIDUAL THAT
OCCURRED IN OUR PROGRAM IN THE
EARLY DAYS OF FERTILITY CARE
DURING THE LATE 70'S AND EARLY
80'S. THE UNACCEPTABLE ACTIONS