Woman Uses Facebook To Pick Sperm Donor, Regrets 'Risky' Move After Birth

A woman from England turned to social media in search of a sperm donor, hoping to have a second child. What began as a hopeful journey into motherhood soon became a story of regret, highlighting the risks of making life-changing decisions online.

According to The Mirror, 33-year-old Laura Coldman from England found herself single in 2018 and longing for a second child. Rather than opting for costly IVF treatments, she decided to search for a sperm donor on Facebook. Laura, who already had a six-year-old son, was driven by the desire for him to have a sibling.

In 2020, Laura joined a Facebook group where she was contacted by a man offering to be a donor. After checking his credibility in other groups and finding positive feedback, she visited his home

for the first time in December 2020.

The interaction was brief; the donor barely spoke, and after 10 minutes, he handed her a syringe with the sample. Laura performed self-insemination, repeated the process three more times over the next seven months, and finally became pregnant in July 2021. She gave birth to her son, Callum Anthony Ryan, in April 2022.

While Laura cherishes her son, who weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces at birth, she cautions against finding a donor via social media. Callum is currently non-verbal, does not understand dangers, and has had furniture removed from his room due to his climbing tendencies.

Laura is on a long waiting list for autism testing and speech therapy, suspecting that Callum’s issues may be linked to the donor’s genetic health.

Other women who have used the same donor have reported similar symptoms in their children. She stated, “I’m not neurodivergent, but similar traits have been observed in other women who had children with the same donor.” Laura added, “I can’t imagine life without my son, but I wouldn’t recommend finding a sperm donor through Facebook. You never truly know the person—they could have a criminal record, mental health issues, or unknown medical history.”

She also mentioned that after her son’s birth, she informed the donor and sent updates, but has had no contact with him in the past year.