Ottawa Dr. Norman Barwin was once lionized as a champion of fertility for gays and lesbians, an Order of Canada recipient and a successful marathon runner.
The fertility doctor ran afoul by allegedly inseminating at least 11 of his patients with his own sperm — without their knowledge or consent — and mixing up others’ biological material instead of the intended donors.
That left his anxious fertility patients wondering: Who’s my child’s daddy?
Ther fertility doctor’s plunge from grace will culminate June 25 in Toronto as he faces a disciplinary hearing before the College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he’ll likely have his medical licence revoked for the misconduct.
A class action lawsuit alleges Barwin is the biological father of at least 11 children whose parents sought fertility treatments with him.
These couples expected their sperm or a selected anonymous donor’s sperm to inseminate them, but instead Barwin inseminated these mothers with his sperm and without their knowledge or consent, the lawsuit alleged.
A few of these “Barwin Babies” victims will read their victim impact statements at Tuesday’s college discipline hearing.
Ottawa couple Davina and Daniel Dixon wanted so badly to become parents, but unfortunately were unable to conceive, a 2016 lawsuit alleges.
In 1989, the couple contracted Dr. Barwin and his clinic to assist them “in conceiving a child together,” the statement of claim alleges.
The couple only wanted a child with Daniel’s sperm — and no one else’s — so he supplied a sample, the lawsuit alleged.
Davina became pregnant in the fall of ’89 and gave birth to Rebecca on June 1, 1990.
In 2016, the family became concerned there “may have been a mix-up in Dr. Barwin’s clinic. ”
A blood type test revealed that Rebecca had type-O-positive blood, while her father Daniel had type AB blood.
“It was impossible for an individual with type AB blood to conceive a child with type-O blood,” the lawsuit alleged.
A paternity test confirmed that Daniel could not be Rebecca’s biological father.
The family compared photos of their daughter and the fertility doctor.
“They could not help but notice that Rebecca bore an uncanny resemblance to Dr. Barwin,” the lawsuit alleged.
Rebecca connected over the Internet with a woman named Kathryn “Kat” Palmer, who lives in Vancouver and who Rebecca learned is also a biological child of Dr. Barwin and had been conceived at Dr. Barwin’s clinic, the lawsuit alleged.
Kat was born Jan. 31, 1991 and is now 28.
Like Rebecca, Kat’s parents Lyon and Janet sought Dr. Barwin’s aid in 1990 due to fertility problems.
The couple proceeded with an anonymous sperm donor. Janet became pregnant in the spring of 1990 and gave birth to Kat on Jan. 31, 1991.
In the summer of 2015, Kat became curious about her genetic background. She submitted her DNA to ancestry website Family Tree DNA.
She was matched with a second cousin in New York City — who turned out to be Dr. Barwin’s relative.
Kat contacted Dr. Barwin, asking if he was her biological father. He conducted a DNA test and in October 2015, confirmed through email he was her daddy.
Kat and Rebecca compared their DNA results and later learned they were half-sisters with the same father — Dr. Barwin, the lawsuit alleged.
Barwin resigned his medical licence in 2014 and his Order of Canada has been revoked.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
