What I am trying to do is have my dad’s name removed and
replaced with “unknown”.
I am donor conceived. Sperm donors in the 70’s were anonymous and one of the only things I know about my biological father is the donor code RE.
I do not need a piece of paper to tell me how much my dad meant to me
and how much I love him and will always love him (he passed away when I
was 10 – 30 years ago this month).
What I do need is an accurate
and factual record of my conception and birth. Apart from originally
being instigated for taxation purposes, they are supposed to be a
factual record of genealogy. Mine does not, nor does the majority of
other donor conceived people’s birth certificates. By enshrining
deception in the law and allowing this to occur the state government is
complicit in enabling recipient parents to actively deceive their child
about their origins. Something we know from research that the truth is
often found out later in life with devastating consequences.
My dog
has a more accurate birth certificate than I do, as do a lot of
livestock. How is it that animals can have a more accurate birth record
than a person? Now that is dehumanising and wrong.
A birth certificate is not a certificate of ownership, we do not own children. We merely love and nurture them to adulthood.
Now I was lucky and blessed that both dad and mum always told me the
truth about my conception. Something that was extremely rare in the
seventies as the doctors told them to keep it a secret from me. Modern
research shows that my parents were correct and made the right decision
for which I am forever grateful. They both taught me to stand up for
what I believe in, and this is what I am doing. I strongly believe that I
am continuing on my dad’s legacy of seeking and telling the truth by
making this stand. His legacy also still lives on in my name, Damian
HEDLEY ADAMS. This will not change.
As it currently stands if any of
my descendants do genealogy research of my family they will be lead
down the wrong path. Yes they will still be linked to the Adams’s and
this is still important, but it is not their flesh and blood.
Birth
certificates need to be reviewed. They should contain all of the
biological parents as well as any legal parents (if different), that way
parents will stop deceiving their children and the truth about their
kinship will be available to them.
As far as I am aware this is the
first time this has been attempted in Australia, and I may not be
successful, but it is time to make a stand not just for me but for my
descendants and other donor conceived people.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-04/man-from-anonymous-donor-wants-birth-certificate-changed/5720126
