A case study reveals how one young donor-conceived person navigates family identity

Investigation of a Donor Primary School Student's Perspective on the Concept of Family: a Narrative Study. (Özden, 2025)

Özden, G., & Ütkür-Güllühan, N. (2025). Investigation of a Donor Primary School Student's Perspective on the Concept of Family: A Narrative Study. Child Indicators Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-025-10216-y

Geographic Region: Turkey

Research Question: How does a primary school-aged donor child interpret the concept of family and family roles within their inner world?

Note: I have concerns about the design of the case study and the conclusions drawn. I opted to share it because I do think the case study provides a valuable example of how donor conception experiences might manifest in restrictive legal and cultural contexts and how a child's presentation can vary between home and school settings.

Design: A qualitative study used a narrative inquiry design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted across 5 sessions (60 minutes with mother and teacher, 30 minutes with child), using differentiated question sets (7 questions for teacher, 44 for mother, 28 for child) plus classroom observations during family-related lessons. The researchers employed narrative thematic analysis based on attachment theory, role theory, and network theory from family systems theories.

Sample: Anthony (born in 2014 and age 9 at the time of data collection), a 4th-grade primary school student in Istanbul, Turkey, who was donor-conceived and was aware of his origins since age 5. His mother Alison, a vocational high school graduate and single mother who chose donor conception abroad using an anonymous French donor with no identifying information available, and sought professional support from a psychologist to disclose to her son. His teacher, Gökhan, is a male primary school teacher with 15 years of experience who began working with Anthony in second grade.

“When Anthony first asked about this, he was five years old and in preschool. He knew that he didn’t have a father, that he was created in a tube and placed in my womb, where he grew before I gave birth to him. The child psychologists had said that Anthony might start asking these types of questions when he started primary school, but he asked earlier. He was in preschool and said, ‘Are you my mom or my dad? Decide!’ I replied, ‘Men are fathers, and women are mothers.’ He then asked, ‘Where’s my dad?’ I told him he was in France.” - Alison (mother)

“Of course, I know. A normal child is born from a relationship between a man and a woman. In the mother’s womb, it starts as small as a bean, grows for 6–7 months, and then is born. I was created in a tube, so I’m a donor child. My mom really wanted me, so she had me placed in her womb. When my mom told me I was a test-tube baby, I briefly felt like a tube (he laughs). I thought I had a normal dad, but I don’t.” - Anthony (age 9)

Key Findings

• Anthony demonstrated “secure attachment” to his mother and positive family relationships when at home or with his mother present. The child defined family as "just my mom and me" and expressed contentment with this family structure in private settings. Their relationship was characterized by open, respectful communication and shared decision-making, though his mother maintained clear parental authority. The child showed empathy toward his mother's feelings, sometimes putting her emotional well-being first.

  • “If I said [I wanted a dad], my mom might think I see her differently. If I were in her place, I might feel that way. She might think, ‘Would things be better if he had a dad?’ or ‘Does he not want me?’ or ‘Am I not a good mom?’ I don’t want to hurt her, so I don’t say things like that.” - Anthony (age 9)

• Anthony showed reluctance and withdrawal when discussing father-related topics in school or social environments away from his mother. In social settings, the child developed sophisticated strategies for managing conversations about his family. He maintained healthy friendships while carefully avoiding detailed discussions about his family structure, using brief explanations like "he's in France" when asked about his father. He actively sought male role models through relationships with his uncle and his teacher.

  • “None of my friends know that I’m a donor child. When they ask, I just say, ‘I don’t have a dad; I’ve never seen him because he’s in France.’ I’m not lying because I really haven’t seen him. … I don’t dwell on it; I don’t want them to ask again because that’s my private life, and I don’t want it to be questioned. If I tell them, I think they’ll just get more curious.” - Anthony (age 9)

Limitations: The lead researcher's dual role as both Anthony's teacher and study investigator creates significant potential for bias, conflicts of interest, and compromised objectivity in data collection and interpretation. Methodological limitations include the single case study design, which severely limits generalizability to the broader donor-conceived population, and reliance solely on narrative accounts from three participants rather than validated clinical measures. The study makes definitive claims about "secure attachment" based on narrative inference rather than standardized attachment assessments, which is methodologically problematic for psychological conclusions. The cross-sectional design captures only one developmental moment, failing to account for the dynamic nature of how children's understanding of donor conception evolves over time. The research demonstrates significant developmental blindness, lacking proper consideration of a 9-year-old's cognitive and emotional capacity to fully comprehend donor conception.

Applications: Educators and school counselors can create inclusive classroom environments that accommodate diverse family structures; modify family activities to be more inclusive; provide teacher training on supporting students from donor families; and coordinate with parents when family-related topics arise in the curriculum.

Funding Source: No funding was received for this study.

Lead Author: Gökhan Özden is a doctoral student in Primary School Teaching at Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Institute of Graduate Studies, Istanbul, Turkey. There was no indication of a personal connection to donor conception.

Regulatory and Social Context

• Turkey has banned egg donation, sperm donation, embryo donation, and surrogacy since 1987, when assisted reproductive treatment laws were established

• In March 2010, Turkey became the first country to legally prohibit its citizens from traveling abroad to access donor conception or surrogacy services

• Only married heterosexual couples using their own eggs and sperm can access IVF treatment - single women, lesbian couples, and unmarried couples are excluded

• Donor conception is talked about in Turkey, but usually in negative, stigmatized, or sensationalized contexts.