Sperm-donor shock spurs Port Hope couple’s lawsuit – Self-reporting nightmare

A couple from Port Hope thought they had done their due diligence when they chose a sperm donor for their son, now aged 7.

Angela Collins and Margaret Elizabeth Hanson picked Donor 9623 because of his impressive background. Touted by the U.S. sperm bank Xytex Corp. as its “best donor,” he was said to have an IQ of 160, a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, a master’s in artificial intelligence, and a PhD in neuroscience engineering in the works, according to a lawsuit the pair has filed against the company and donor.

The women were stunned to learn last year that Donor 9623 was nothing like he had been billed. After Xytex released his name to them, they learned he has schizophrenia, is a college dropout, had been arrested for burglary and is an ex-felon, according to their complaint, filed March 30 in a Georgia court.

What’s more, a photo of him provided by Xytex had been doctored and a large mole on his cheek removed, their complaint alleges. It goes on to state that he appears to have fathered 36 children.

In their lawsuit — which has garnered international attention — against Xytex and the donor, the couple is seeking damages for pain, suffering and financial loss.

“They feel frightened, scared, upset and misused, the way that you would feel if you found out that you had been misled in such a sensitive area,” their San Francisco-based lawyer Nancy Hersh said in an interview. She is representing about 15 other clients who might be joining the lawsuit. Their children range in age from toddlers up to age 12.

Hersh said the case highlights how the fertility industry is in dire need of more regulation and oversight.

In a written statement to the media, Xytex said it “absolutely denies any assertion that it failed to comply with the highest standards for testing.”

The Star was unable to reach the man listed in the complaint as the donor: James Christian “Chris” Aggeles.

He was charged with one count of burglary in 2005, but the case was discharged under terms of the First Offender Act, a spokesperson for the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The Superior Court Clerk’s office said he served eight months in jail, with the rest of his 10-year sentence on probation.