Sophie and her partner Ino’s story began when Sophie’s friend told her mother about the young woman’s desire to have a child. Her grandfather, in turn, passed the idea along to his son, Ino, who, although initially surprised, felt honored by the gesture. After a period of reflection and a short trip, Ino grew increasingly open to the idea of becoming a father through donation. The official conversation between the two took place in March 2023, when Sophie contacted Ino and they agreed to meet for a drink, discussing their past and quickly reaching mutual consent that this step would be welcome.
The conditions of their co-parenting partnership were clearly established from the outset. Sophie insisted on retaining full custody and excluding any involvement from Ino in the child’s upbringing. Although she expressed a wish that the future child maintain ties with Ino, this was not a mandatory precondition. The timeline was dictated by the logistics of a planned trip to Africa. Sophie traveled to Kenya that summer, and both decided to avoid the situation where she might have been pregnant during that stay. Thus, they agreed that treatment would begin after returning from vacation.
The legal document was signed in September, officially formalizing the agreement. Together, they hoped to begin the medical procedure in November. However, the process experienced a minor delay. Ino had to repeat one of the medical tests he had previously undergone, which postponed the start of treatment by a month. The new start date was thus set for December 2023, allowing all necessary preparatory steps to be completed.
The medical context included a memorable intervention by the healthcare staff. According to accounts, the gynecologist involved in the assisted reproduction process asked, “Why aren’t you doing this alone?”, reflecting an attitude aimed at verifying the client’s motivation and psychological preparation for deciding to parent solo or with the support of a known donor. This interaction illustrates the complexity of assisted reproduction processes when the partnership includes a known person but with a strictly biological role.
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