Chapter 4 - Dr. Adrian Vale
Adrian Vale had been seventy-one when he died.
He died two years before the reception.
Stroke.
He had founded Vale Reproductive Medicine in the late 1990s.
By the time Grant and I became patients, Adrian was semi-retired.
He still saw selected consultations.
Evelyn recommended him personally.
“He’s discreet.”
That had been her word.
At the time, I assumed wealthy families used the same doctors.
Adrian handled our initial evaluation himself.
When Grant’s azoospermia was confirmed, Adrian was gentle.
Professional.
He said:
“Infertility is a diagnosis, not an identity.”
I liked him.
Grant did too.
Adrian recommended a reproductive urologist for micro-TESE.
When no sperm was recovered, Adrian discussed donor conception.
He never pressured.
At least not in front of me.
We selected donor D-418 from the clinic-affiliated cryobank catalog.
Profile:
Caucasian male.
Brown hair.
Hazel eyes.
College educated.
Family history negative for major inherited disease based on reported screening.
Anonymous donor under the laws and contracts applicable at the time, with limited nonidentifying profile information and possible future identity-release provisions depending on the program documents.
Grant chose him partly because:
“He sounds ordinary.”
That was what he said.
I became pregnant on the second treatment cycle.
Maddie was born healthy.
Everything seemed complete.
Then came the urgent notice.
I called the clinic the morning after the reception.
New administrator.
Dr. Helen Park.
She would not discuss details until verifying my identity.
Then she said:
“Mrs. Bennett, we need you and Mr. Bennett to come in separately or together.”
“Why?”
“We identified inconsistencies involving the sample recorded as donor D-418.”
“What inconsistencies?”
“The cryostorage inventory and chain-of-custody documentation do not reconcile.”
My stomach tightened.
“Was the wrong donor used?”
“We do not know yet.”
“Do you have the sample?”
“We have retained reference material associated with some donors and treatment-cycle records. We are conducting independent review.”
“Who was responsible?”
Pause.
“Dr. Vale’s administration.”
There.
“Did you know he was related to my mother-in-law?”
Silence.
Then:
“I was not aware of that.”
May you like
Neither was I.
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