Adam Zayden, a 25-year-old social media influencer from Newham, London, made an extraordinary gesture of love and generosity when he donated his sperm to his sister Jade, 29, so she and her partner could start a family. This act of kindness made him both the uncle and the biological father of his sister’s child.

Jade, a researcher and developer, and her wife Eefje, a 30-year-old veterinarian, had been trying to conceive since 2018. The couple’s journey to parenthood was fraught with challenges, as finding a suitable sperm donor proved difficult. Their insurance policy in Amsterdam, where they reside, did not cover artificial insemination, complicating their search for a donor.

After three years of listening to their struggles, Adam decided to step in and offer his help. “They’d become so frustrated with the donor process it just felt like the right, and ‘easy’ thing to do,” Adam told South West News Service. “This whole process has made me so much closer to my sister and her partner.”

Jade and Eefje were determined to have a biological child and initially explored various donor options. However, the search was challenging and often disheartening. Many of the available donors insisted on conceiving the “natural way,” which involved sexual intercourse, instead of using intracervical insemination (ICI), a method where a woman inserts a man’s sperm into her cervix with a syringe-like device.

One donor even reneged on his agreement, demanding to sleep with Eefje instead. “He literally turned around and said he wanted to do things the ‘natural’ way,” Adam recalled. “He wanted to sleep with my sister-in-law — which was never in the realm of what they wanted.”

The process took an emotional toll on Jade and Eefje. “You’re opening yourself up in the most vulnerable of times,” Jade shared. “You’re welcoming, essentially, strangers, into your life. You’re then dependent on strangers to help fulfill one of your biggest dreams.” Eefje added, “You’re also being exposed to a lot of potential hate. Whether that’s
from sharing your experience, or just in general while searching for a donor.”

Frustrated and exhausted by the lack of serious and respectful donors, the couple eventually approached Adam, asking him to consider donating his sperm. “They’d joked before about me giving them mine, but I didn’t realize they were actually open to that,” Adam remembered. He called it one of the easiest decisions he has ever made.

Adam’s selfless act has not only helped Jade and Eefje fulfill their dream of becoming parents but also strengthened the bond between them. His willingness to help in such a profound way underscores the power of family and the lengths one can go to support their loved ones.