Unknown Identity: The Untold Life of a Donor-Conceived Person | Lizzy Forman | TEDxTheMastersSchool

This girl got issues

I'm on the waiting list for a donor and the doctor I spoke to get information advised to be open and honest early on and it makes sense. I would want to know as a kid and not be lied to.

You can hear the hurt in her voice.

The fact that shes talking about it shows there is something wrong with it

This is so sad. She is protecting herself from emotional trauma

Breeders are SO selfish!!!!!!! Why cant they adopt?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!

I would much rather have a donor, than the father and his family that abandoned me twice

U got the bubbles from the doner ddy?

Not bad. It’s sum good quality EGGS I can tell by the bubblez

the father gave her really good genetics.

this kind proves that kids have an instinct need to know who r their parents whether u like it or not. Now u r in ur 40 why don t u adopt, maybe two kids, u would make them so happy, and u would b fulfilled. It is a win-win.

This was really sad to watch...I could never imagine what it's like growing up with questions about who you are. 😪

poor woman. all this investigation to find the father and siblings..

I’m considering donor. I’m 39, my husband left. I’m not going to throw away my dream to be a Mother.

When I think about this being a possible choice I get doubtful. I know for me I would love to be a mother but then part of me feels for the child. I feel like it might be selfish knowing what they go through later on as they start coming of age and wanting to get answers that are just natural

You’re speaking for all of us. I found out at age twenty four but I had been lied to and told that my father had died in a car crash and was Australian. Neither of these were true. Initially I thought I had been abandoned or adopted. The truth, even if hard, is always better than deception. I won’t repeat the same mistake with my son.

You should be so lucky, your mother wanted you so bad in her life. There are many mothers who have children with mean men that don't want to be around and some mothers resent their child or raise their children alone. So whats the difference, having a dad that doesn't want the child or being loved and wanted by your mother

Such a good story from a pretty girl.
Live is loving yourself 1st, she loves herself and by the end of her speech she meant it. She will definitely make her mom proud 👏.
God bless

You are an brave intelligent & beautiful young woman! Clearly you have a great mother & good 'dna'. Thank you for having the courage to share part of your journey & I wish you a long happy life full of the most important ingredient, ♡Love♡

I didn’t know children could give ted talks but dope.... maybe if dudes got to spread their seed like they want, they would stop abusing women. And also kinda cool that this girl got such a big family. Lots of fun surprises

My dad was adopted; I wonder if the feelings are similar? I know the trickle down from not having my biological grandparents in my life was something I always thought about growing up.

The dismantle of humanity ...

What a beautiful and well spoken young woman

hi

This was great

Precious 💕

Bravo! Well spoken and clearly raised with love and support. Impressive young lady.

This is incredible. She is such a good public speaker!! Thank you for sharing your story! 👏🏼👏🏼

The donor doesn't have to pay child support. Some people might lie about their profiles.

"The traits that I got from my mom and the traits that I got from my donor, are not the entire collective of who I am."
🙌 This 😍
Edit: So much wisdom!!!

heard of Bryce Cleary ? 20 kids are born based on his genetics..

Still fearfully and wonderfully made!

Why not

Though it’s a beautiful thing to donate and help someone out it comes with a responsibility both on the donor side and the mother’s side

The truth is that all humans are related. Period. (as well as all living creatures on the planet)

Geez, the lengths some people will go to just to oppress others.
Procreation is child abuse.

Thank you! It is great to see what an amazing young woman you are. I have a 3 month old son who I used a donor for. It is great to see being open about how he came to the world can help him be well adjusted. My donor has identity disclosure for my son when he is 18 as well.

Lizzy you seem well loved and well reared. You are beautiful. I help you continue to move forward in your life and be amazing.

She's a smart girl!

The only thing that's frustrating about it...is that people assume it's hard or bad in some way.
As if we are missing out on something.
Think of it like this... Everyone experiences something that someone else doesn't. For instance, I haven't experienced being an astronaut. But because most people have two parents, it is commonly agreed on that two parents is normal and necessary. This is actually quite an egocentric perspective. We tend to use our own experience as the model of what is necessary.
So if you haven't been to outer space yourself, you don't worry about other people who haven't been to outer space, even though going to there could potentially provide a profound new perspective on the universe.


Every experience, including being a relatively rare case of donor conception, has the potential to be a curse or a blessing. Perspective determines whether any experience is good or bad for you. One could say you are missing out on my experience just as well. My experience has given me an incredibly unique perspective on life. Everything happens for you, not to you.

I am Aromantic Asexual and am currently trying to conceive with a donor, I had a miscarriage last year but am trying again. I fortunate enough to have a known donor so the contact can be arranged without the searching and luck factor. It's important for people to know that these children are the same as any other.

I’m thinking to have my own children through egg donors but I’m also worried that my children will go mental feeling the need to find their mother.

Her last sentence was so powerful.

"The traits that I got from my mom and the traits that I got from my donor are not the collective sum of who I am"
I'm glad she knows that.

Not once did she call him Daddy; to her, he's just a DONOR😟😔😔😔

I was conceived with a donor. I wasn't lied to. I was told as soon as I asked. When I tell people I don't have a father, they assume I was adopted and my brother isn't biological. He is. It is my biological family. People can ask too many questions.

She's thicc af. Great genes.

I'm torn. Lizzie seems pretty well adjusted but I detect a longing in her heart for a 'real' dad not just a donor dad. How do you compensate for past years from the lack of a father figure? What model does she have for the traditional family unit which she obviously has an attraction to? If that were not the case, why would the desire for this personal connection be so strong? Otherwise, she would be satisfied with merely medical and ancestral details. Because you know how you were physically conceived doesn't make up for the emotional desire for that 'other' parent.

Ha, 20 years ago the "mother's" never imagined there would be at home DNA tests to find your distant relatives. Those that taught the kids they were biologically theirs were in for a big surprise.

😭 😭 😭