Donor Legacy Project
The Donor Legacy Project aims to provide video or written resources that can assist donors to create and submit information to the Voluntary Register. The word legacy is used because many donors are ageing or may be unwell. By documenting information or creating a legacy, offspring will be able to grasp an understanding of the donor.
Donors often have multiple offspring, so making a digital legacy that can be passed on to others is ideal.
When donor-conceived adults were asked the ways in which they would hope donors might document their information, the top results included videos, letters and online photo storybooks.
Watch the video below for an example of a donor legacy video provided by Ian Smith, a sperm donor from the 1980s.
What to say
Donor-conceived people also identified the top 10 details they would like to learn about their donors. You can read their responses along with other questions to consider.
Creating a donor legacy
You can leave a message on a video or write something about you and your life story.
There are also other forms of information that can be lodged on the Voluntary Register like a donor's ethnic and cultural background, their likes and interests, and their personality traits. Memory boxes and scrapbooks are also a good way to share information as well as other symbolic items.
You can find a list of online sites that can help create a simple but personalised donor legacy below. It is important to consider sending a link to your online legacy to VARTA or a friend or family member. This will ensure that your donor-conceived offspring can receive your information if you were to pass away.
Storage
Donors who wish to store information or legacy material at VARTA will first need to place themselves on the Voluntary Register. For those donors already on the register, it is important that they ensure their contact information is complete and up-to-date. VARTA also recommends donors keep a copy of this information or ask a family member or friend to hold onto it, too.
Donors can send electronic items and information can be sent to varta@varta.org.au. Please contact VARTA if you would like to discuss storage of hard copy information such as photo albums, scrapbooks, handwritten letters or other items or electronic files that are too large to email. Please call VARTA on (03) 8622 0500 or email:varta@varta.org.au.
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