donor conception Podcast Summaries

Infertility doctor secretly fathered dozens of children: how strangers became family

Up First from NPR

Jul 19, 2026

A group of strangers discovered they were all donor-conceived children of the same Philadelphia urologist, Dr. Charles Charny. This investigation reveals how they navigated the shock of their origins to build an unexpected, supportive community, challenging traditional definitions of family and biological connection.

Key insight: The siblings discovered that their biological father, a renowned infertility specialist, had secretly used his own sperm to inseminate dozens of women without their knowledge or consent over a 25-year period.