A Donor Conceived Adult
Tiffany Gardner, an adult DCP
Tag: estranged
-
The Sting of Rejection
Rejection from genetic family feels like being the kid nobody wants on the team. Do you remember the dread in PE when you were about to play a team sport and the students, not the teachers, would pick teams? I sure do. I remember the stress of standing on one side of the imaginary line
-
Intergenerational Trauma
My oldest son turned 8 yesterday. This time with my children is flying by, just as everyone said that it would. He is insightful, sensitive, artistic, curious, kind, and funny. He loves Minecraft, Harry Potter, LEGOs, Star Wars, creating art, reading with me, and playing video games. Out of all three of my sons, he
-
When the Party’s Over
Happy birthday to my biological father. I look at the picture of the day we first met just under three years ago and still cannot believe this is and always was my life. I still have to tell myself that this previously anonymous and secret stranger is and always was my biological father. I still
-
Missed Connections
That moment when you stumble upon an online photo of your nephew—the infant son of a half brother who has no interest in knowing you and who had an active role in destroying your relationship with your biological father—and realize that not only does your youngest son look just like your half brother, but your
-
Love is Not Finite
If you simply can’t understand why someone is grieving so much for so long then consider yourself fortunate that you do not understand. Joanna Cacciatore Some days are harder than others. I feel Father’s Day approaching, and lately reminders have popped up of how I was created with the purpose of always being an outsider
-
Fear of Abandonment
When you fear the abandonment of another, the probability of you abandoning yourself goes up. Vienna Pharaon This one resonated. When I found my biological father and we connected, I did everything in my power to be perfect. I was sincere in my efforts at bonding with him and his wife, but I did my
-
Lost & Found
I lost myself trying to please everyone else. Now I’m losing everyone while I’m finding myself. – Unknown As someone who has gone public with family and friends about being donor conceived, I feel this deeply. Many donor-conceived people keep their status a secret for the protection of others, but secrecy denotes shame. Secrecy screams
A Donor Conceived Adult 