Fertility Doctor Faces Allegations of Covertly Using Own Sperm: Patient, 73, Speaks Out
Dr. Merle Berger, a prominent fertility doctor and former Harvard Medical School professor, is under scrutiny as allegations emerge that he used his own sperm without consent to impregnate a patient. The patient, 73-year-old Sarah Depoian, reveals the betrayal of trust she and her husband experienced during their fertility treatment in 1979.
Fertility Doctor Faces Allegations of Covertly Using Own Sperm: Patient, 73, Speaks Out
Story From Fatima Adamu, Abuja.
Dr. Merle Berger, a prominent fertility doctor and former Harvard Medical School professor, is under scrutiny as allegations emerge that he used his own sperm without consent to impregnate a patient. The patient, 73-year-old Sarah Depoian, reveals the betrayal of trust she and her husband experienced during their fertility treatment in 1979.
Sarah Depoian, along with her husband, sought the services of Dr. Merle Berger in 1979 for intrauterine insemination. She claims that Berger assured them the sperm would come from an anonymous donor who resembled her husband and was unknown to her.
Sarah Depoian: “We fully trusted Dr. Berger. It’s hard to imagine not trusting your own doctor.”
However, a home DNA test conducted later contradicted Berger’s assurances, revealing that he was the biological father of Depoian’s daughter, Carolyn Bester, born in January 1981.
Sarah Depoian: “We never dreamt he would abuse his position of trust and perpetrate this extreme violation. I am struggling to process it.”
Depoian, through her lawyer Adam Wolf, describes Berger’s actions as “heinous and intentional misconduct” and deems them “unethical, unacceptable, and unlawful.”
Adam Wolf: “Berger’s actions were not only unethical and unacceptable, but they were also unlawful. This is a shocking betrayal of trust.”
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Berger’s lawyer, Ian Pinta, dismisses the allegations, stating they have “no legal or factual merit” and are based on events from over 40 years ago.
Ian Pinta: “The allegations, which have changed repeatedly, have no legal or factual merit, and will be disproven in court.”
Berger, founder of one of the largest fertility clinics in Boston, United States, is renowned for his pioneering work in the field of medical fertility, with over five decades of practice.
Ian Pinta: “Dr. Berger, a pioneer in the medical fertility field, has helped several families fulfill their dreams of having children.”
This unsettling case unfolds as a patient speaks out against a trusted fertility doctor, revealing the alleged misuse of his own sperm. The legal battle ahead will explore the complexities of trust, medical ethics, and the impact of such revelations on patients and the medical community.