Donor Conceived Community

What does Donor Conceived Community do? 🫂 For DCP: We started in 2020 with our "New Discovery" peer support groups, for adults who recently learned they were conceived with donor sperm or eggs. We quickly learned that there were lots of reasons donor-conceived people (DCP) needed support, and it didn't all have to do with "late discovery." Are you an adult DCP? Join a peer-led support group, and check out our educational webinars, community events, and resources. 👤 For Parents: We know parents don't have many resources for exploring donor conception, talking to their kids, or managing the questions after growing their family with donor conception. We provide parent support too! Join a parent groups, drop-in, or "Ask a DCP" panel, book private parent session, or check out our resources for talking to kids (coming soon.) 👤 For Donors: We know there's a lot to figure out after donating. We're adding peer-led groups, community events, and resources for donors. (Coming soon- resources for talking to family!) ➡️ For Professionals who works with anyone above...watch this space for more info about our interdisciplinary learning community and follow us at @dccprofessionals

👋 Hi! Are you new to the topic of donor conception? Trying to figure out what resources are available? Wondering who we are? Donor Conceived Community is an organization led by donor-conceived people (DCP) that started in 2021 with some free peer-support group meetings for people who recently discovered they were conceived with donor sperm or eggs. These small groups met over Zoom, and helped people connect in a setting away from social media. We talked about all things donor-conception....feelings, questions, insights, resources. All the things we each spent hours Googling on our own. We soon realized that it was more than just "late-discovery" DCP that needed support, so we began adding groups to support variety of DCP experiences. Most of our groups meet for 6 weeks at a time. We also host community and educational events. We have a lot of work to do and resources to build to make a better world for donor conceived people. Thanks for being here with us!

As a DCP-led organization, our first priority is the wellbeing of donor-conceived people (DCP). Why is that? Put simply, donor conception creates DCP. We're most impacted by its lifelong implications. When our founder, Melissa, discovered she was donor-conceived, she couldn't find the resources she needed. And she knew she wasn't the only one trying to make sense of things. That's why DCC was founded! What started with peer support groups for DCP helped us see how many people needed better resources. So we're hard at work, listening, collaborating, and creating- for DCP, parents, donors, and the professionals who work with them. Because when one of us gets support, everyone benefits. 👋 If you're a member or ally of the donor conception constellation, welcome! We're here for you. See our next pinned post, "What does DCC do?," to learn how we can help you.

📣 Attention DCP! This is a great opportunity for our community to advance research about the perspectives and experiences of donor conceived people. 👉 Dr. Alison Walsh is a Research Scientist at the University of Michigan School of Nursing and the Principal Investigator of the KIND Study (Kinship and Identity Narratives of Donor Conceived Adults). The research team is inviting people who were conceived from donated eggs, sperm, or embryos to participate in an online survey that aims to learn more about their experiences and to better understand family, kinship, and adult identity narratives. Participation involves completing an anonymous online survey, which will take approximately 20-40 minutes. Participation is voluntary. Participants will be entered to win one of four $50 Amazon Gift Cards for completing the survey. If you are interested in participating, visit use the QR code, or go to https://myumi.ch/n1Mrx If you have questions, please contact the research team at [email protected], Project Director, Mary Richardson at [email protected], or Principal Investigator, Dr. Alison Walsh at [email protected]. This study [ID #: HUM00274469] has been reviewed and approved by the University of Michigan Institutional Review Board and is considered Exempt Human Subjects Research.

Join us for our next DCC Professional Group webinar with guest speaker Richard Wenzel, PharmD who will be presenting on 👉 Parentage, Secrecy and Genetic Discovery: An Overview of Recommendations by Medical Organizations  Richard Wenzel, Gina Daniel, Jodi Girard, Lily Wood, and Eve Sturges were recently published in The American Journal of Human Genetics regarding misattributed parentage. Join us to learn more about the findings and themes from the article! Free for DCC Professional Group members: /professionals Richard Wenzel, PharmD, CPPS, an accomplished medical educator, practitioner, researcher, and mentor.  He has authored/co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications in leading medical and pharmacy journals, has given more than 150 presentations at national, state, and local-level health care professional meetings. Richard is a two-time nominee for the American Associations of Colleges of Pharmacy Master Preceptor award. He is a Certified Professional in Patient Safety, having spent the past decade seeking to improve health care safety.  #genetics #dnadiscoveries #misattributedparentage #pediatrics #familymedicine #oncology #medicalhistory

Our next round of peer-led support group are open for registration. If you are an adult conceived from donated sperm, egg or embryo, we’re here to help you navigate the discovery journey and meet others who know what it’s like. Registration is free for DCC members, and $10 for non-members. Our peer support groups are peer-led by other adult DCP (not mental health professionals) and meet weekly for 6 weeks over Zoom.

There are so many themes to explore when it comes to learning about donor conception. We love to bring perspectives and expertise from various fields of study- this time it’s anthropology! Join us Wednesday for our next DCC Professional group webinar when we’ll hear from DCP and researcher, Kristin Buhrow.

Dear donor-conceived people: you don't have to walk your path alone. Come get connected to others like you in our next 6-week session of virtual peer support groups. Stay tuned - registration opens soon for groups in January

Surprising Ancestry or #23andMe results? Stuck on thoughts about being conceived by a sperm, egg, or embryo donor? Not sure where to start? 🧩 Drop by for peer support over Zoom on Mondays from 12-1 pm CST. We’re here to listen or connect you to helpful resources. Register at the link in our bio ("Donor Conceived 101.") #dnasurprise #donorconceived #donorconception #spermdonor #eggdonor #embryodonor #donorconceivedperson

Let's be honest - the holidays are complicated for a lot of donor-conceived people. Grief, stress, memories, feelings, choices, relationships... it's a lot to juggle. What helps you navigate and destress during the holidays? ⬇

Surprising #Ancestry or #23andMe results? Stuck on thoughts about being conceived by a sperm, egg, or embryo donor? Not sure where to start? 🧩 Drop by for peer support over Zoom on Mondays from 12-1 pm CST. We’re here to listen or connect you to helpful resources. Register at the link in our bio ("Donor Conceived 101.") #dnasurprise #donorconceived #donorconception #spermdonor #eggdonor #embryodonor #donorconceivedperson

Family-building often comes with many feelings - and so can being donor-conceived. Anger, gratitude, curiosity, excitement, indifference, connection, and grief may all come to visit us at different times, or all at once. There's no deadline for processing it all or arriving emotionally at one place. DCP, remember to give yourself grace and space during your journeys. 👥