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Donor 9623: Part One

By: Dov Fox
Narrated by: Dov Fox
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  • Summary

  • When scores of aspiring parents turned to the fertility industry to start families, they chose a remarkable young man to be the biological father of their children. He was a music prodigy and gifted athlete who had a genius IQ, movie star looks, and perfect health.

    Except it was all a lie.

    In this tour de force of investigative reporting, host Dov Fox unravels the case of Donor 9623, examining the complex forces and competing agendas behind the biggest reproductive hoax of our time. The story is dark, propulsive - and in an unexpected turn - hopeful. This Audible Original exposes the billion-dollar industry that creates hundreds of thousands of babies every year, through unprecedented access to its key players - and to Donor 9623 himself.

    The 8-episode series raises hard questions about what we want when we set out to have kids - and what happens when we don’t get it. It places us in the grip of life lived with crushing uncertainty. And unsettles our deepest understanding of what it means to be human.

    The saga continues in Part Two, released in June 2023.

    ©2020 Dov Fox (P)2020 Audible Original
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Episodes
  • Episode 1
    Aug 31 2020
    A family struggles with a troubled son, who makes a startling discovery about his biological father, opening up a world of deceit.
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    20 mins
  • Episode 2
    Aug 31 2020
    Moms around the world join forces to uncover the real identity of the anonymous man they all chose to have a child with, learning that scores of others out there used the same donor.
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    27 mins
  • Episode 3
    Aug 31 2020
    Disturbing new details emerge from the moms’ quest for the truth. How could this deception go undetected for so long? And what did the sperm bank know? Its former CEO weighs in
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    26 mins
About the Creator and Performer - Dov Fox

About the Creator and Performer

Dov Fox is the Herzog Research Professor of Law at the University of San Diego, where he founded and directs the Center for Health Law Policy & Bioethics. Named professor of the year for both teaching excellence and outstanding scholarship, he also holds the university’s highest academic honor bestowed on faculty in any field. Fox’s articles have been published in leading journals of law (e.g., Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Journal), medicine (e.g., New England Journal of Medicine, Journal of the American Medical Association), and public health (e.g., Foreign Affairs, American Journal of Public Health). His work has also been featured in major newspapers (e.g., New York Times, Wall Street Journal), magazines (e.g., The Atlantic, The Economist), and television programs (e.g., CBS This Morning, NBC Today Show). Part One of his original series Donor 9623 was named Audible’s #1 podcast of 2020 and submitted for a Pulitzer Prize in investigative journalism. Fox’s latest book, Birth Rights and Wrongs: How Medicine and Technology are Remaking Reproduction and the Law, was published by Oxford University Press. His next book is The Conscience of Care: Policing the Boundaries of Health in Post-Roe America.

What listeners say about Donor 9623: Part One

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Instant classic

I listen to a LOT of podcasts, and this is up there with the very best audible originals like West Cork & Evil Has a Name, and free-to-air classics such as S-Town & Serial.
A compelling & complex story, teased out beautifully.

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Such a special podcast

Honestly this series is so amazing, deals with so many things head on such as; family, mental illness, biological family, human imperfection, mistakes. I would recommend it to anyone, it’s really made me reflect.

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insightful

excellent podcast. I thought I had made up my mind until the last episode. recommended.

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1 person found this helpful

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Interesting and frightening

This podcast was interesting and frightening and I could not stop listening to it. It was well produced.

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amazing

listened to them all in one go, absolutely riveting and just gets better with every episode!

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very interesting

Flew through it, very interesting listen and poses some hard questions. Would recommend to others.

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Binge worthy!

Loved this podcast! So interesting and thought provoking. I think it took me just two days to finish! I’d love to know how things have progressed since it was finished recording - please give us a follow up!!

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interesting story

Enjoyed this
Engaging listen about an unregulated industry offering hope which could ultimately cause misery.

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Fascinating story, done well

A good podcast was produced with the content he had available. Really interesting story. its annoying how the episodes aren't in order

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Worth the listen for curiosity sake

Anyone thinking of IVF through a sperm bank, it's required listening! The shortcomings of an industry highlighted through one case study, which will leave you wondering as to how it happened and is it really that terrible a thing that it has. Live and let live. Yet the industry requires more regulatory input, that seems obvious. Raises questions

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