The Georgia sperm bank sued by a Canadian couple who say their donor's health wasn't as advertised called the claim baseless in a court filing Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
Angela Collins and Margaret Elizabeth Hanson sued Xytex Corp. in Fulton County Superior Court, saying they were told their then-anonymous donor had an IQ of 160, a bachelor of science degree in neuroscience and a master's degree in artificial intelligence, and that he was working on his PhD in neuroscience engineering. He also was described as an eloquent speaker, mature beyond his years, and healthy.
They said that they later learned he is schizophrenic with less education and a criminal past.
The company in its filing said: “Xytex followed industry standards, including interviews with the donor regarding his health and a standard medical examination. The donor reported a good health history and stated in his application that he had no physical or mental impairments.”
Xytex also said it made it clear in writing throughout the process that, “The medical and social history was provided by the donor and cannot be verified for accuracy,” the company’s filing says.
Xytex is based in Augusta and has offices in Atlanta.
They are seeking a fund that would pay to test and treat, if necessary, the estimated three dozen children of the donor as well as punitive damages and other compensation.
Collins gave birth in July, 2007 after intra-uterine insemination.
