UK DonorLink due to close!

[mistyraven]

Dear Sheffield Forum,

 

I am unsure if your aware of UK DonorLink as its not widely publicized.

 

UK DonorLink is the voluntary information exchange and contact register for adults genetically related through donor conception, i.e. conception using a sperm and/or egg donor, in the UK.

 

The service enables donor-conceived adults born before 1991 - when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act came into force - to trace their half-siblings and donor, and it is the only means by which they can do so. Many adopted people feel a (socially accepted) connection with and desire to contact their biological family - donor-conceived people are the same.

 

People contact donor link and if they wish to be placed on their register the give their DNA and this is cross matched with others on the register. If there is a match with someone on the register then they may contact each other.

 

My daughter is on the register and through donor link she has contact with her half sister. Donerlink is an important conection to who she is.

 

My daughter was sent an email informing her that The UK DONERLINK IS CLOSING AT THE END OF OCT 2011! As the Department of Health’s withdrawal of funding for UK DonorLink.

 

If it closes not only will it mean that donor-conceived people born before 1991 have no way of tracing their biological family, an inhumane situation not faced by any other group of people in society, but also that the Government will be failing in its obligations under human rights law and almost certainly face another challenge in the courts.

 

They are asking people to send their local MP and ANNE MILTON a letter of support to keep the funding. If you want to help support donorlink then sent me your email address and i will forward you more details and a template for the letter.

 

I have been asked to do this by my daughter because this means alot to her and also to others.

 

If you yourself want to use this service then visit the site http://www.ukdonorlink.org.uk