Egg donations: Talking to your child about their origin

For many couples coping with infertility, egg donation is their only chance of having a family. But how do you talk to your child about it and ensure they have a strong sense of identity? asks Helen O’Callaghan

WHEN Ellen* was handed her newborn twins, she hugged them, whispering the words she’d planned from their conception: “we want to thank the donor lady who lives far, far away, for helping Mammy and Daddy to have you,” she said.

For the Dublin mother, whose babies were conceived with her husband’s sperm and a Ukrainian donor’s egg, telling the babies their origins was symbolic.