In some instances, chimerism may separate families. In 2002, Lydia Fairchild applied for child support. But the DNA tests said that she wasn’t related to her children. During the case, she became pregnant with her third child–and the child still exhibited different DNA while in the womb!
Even though a judge arranged for a witness to be present for her third child’s birth, the courts held her DNA tests above her doctor’s testimony. Luckily, she was diagnosed as a chimera; otherwise, she would have lost her children.
What About Their Offspring?
Long’s case raised another question. If a patient’s DNA changed, and they had a child, would they create someone else’s child? Renee surveyed three bone marrow transplant specialists for the answer to this question.
Although the experts agreed that it is an intriguing question, they highly doubted that a child’s DNA would change. “There shouldn’t be any way for someone to father someone else’s child,” reported Dr. Rezvani. After all, a donor’s blood cells should not create new sperm cells.
Could Chris Have His Donor’s Child?
If sperm isn’t usually affected by transplants, why did Chris’s change? According to Mehrdad Abedi, the doctor who treated Chris, his semen change likely resulted from his vasectomy. The fact that sperm couldn’t move meant that their DNA would change.
If Chris hasn’t had a vasectomy, would the same result occur? We don’t know, and the scientists can’t test this on Chris. DNA analyses of sperm have shown the donor’s DNA instead of the patient’s before. Time will tell.
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