Donor conception has helped people build families for decades. It offers hope to couples facing infertility, same-sex couples, and single women who choose to pursue parenthood on their own.
While this path to parenthood is something to celebrate, it can also feel overwhelming at first. Many parents turn to online communities for support. These groups share real stories, break down stigma, and show that donor conception can lead to families filled with love.
But one thing these communities can’t provide is the direct voice of someone who was donor conceived. That’s where Emma Grønbæk, also known as Donor Child, steps in. Emma is a young Danish woman who openly shares her experience of donor conception. She has become an author, speaker, and a powerful advocate for openness and love within donor-conceived families.
Emma’s Donor Conception Story
Emma’s story begins long before she was born. Her parents tried to conceive for about six months before realizing something might be wrong. As doctors, they understood the possibility of fertility challenges and decided to act quickly.
“I think my dad got his sperm tested early on,” Emma says. “They suspected that his fertility might be the reason they didn’t get pregnant right away.”
Assisted fertility treatments in the 1990s were far less advanced than they are today. After several years of trying and visiting multiple fertility clinics, her parents made the decision to use donor sperm. Six years later, IVF finally worked — and Emma was born.
Now, 25 years later, she shares what it felt like to grow up as a donor-conceived child and how her family approached these conversations.
Transparency and Communication
Many parents worry about how and when to tell their child they were donor conceived. Emma’s parents chose complete openness from the very beginning.
Emma doesn’t remember a single “big reveal.” Instead, her story was always part of her life.
“They told me they wanted a baby, but it wasn’t easy,” she explains. “When they were close to losing hope, a kind man helped them become a family. He wasn’t part of my life, but he was always mentioned.”
As Emma grew older, her questions became more complex, even if they came up less often. Her parents always answered honestly and age-appropriately.
“If anything came up, we talked about it openly as a family. I think honesty is key to a happy child and a healthy family dynamic — that’s definitely what I experienced,” she says.
Love Over Genetics
Emma’s story reflects what many donor-conceiving parents hope for: that love, not DNA, is what truly defines a family.
For Emma, the fact that her parents fought so hard to have her only deepens their bond.
“You feel so loved,” she says. “That’s what I always try to communicate — in my book and on my platforms. The most important thing when creating a family is love.”
As fertility treatments improved, her parents had twin girls through ICSI. The three sisters are close, and their bond feels no different from any other siblings.
“The fact that my sisters are my dad’s biological children and I’m not doesn’t impact our relationship,” Emma says. “We were actually quite old when we sat down and realised we were technically half-siblings.”
Sometimes she notices genetic differences. For example, she is lactose intolerant and suspects this comes from the donor. Her mum also comments that Emma’s mouth looks a little different from the rest of the family. But for Emma, these details are minor.
For her, it’s love over genetics every single time.
Emma’s donor was anonymous, and she has never had contact with him. That doesn’t worry her.
“I’ve never wanted contact or needed to know more about him,” she says. “I’m grateful to him, but I don’t need him to be part of my life. If I ever want more information, I know my family would support me.”
Writing the Book
For most of her life, being donor conceived wasn’t a huge part of Emma’s identity. That changed when she decided to start a blog and share her story publicly.
“I realised there wasn’t a voice like mine out there,” she explains. “There were plenty of stories from donor-conceived children who had difficult experiences. I thought it was important for people to know that it’s not always like that.”
Through her blog, Emma wanted to:
- Give hope to couples considering donor conception
- Be a positive advocate for the process
- Show how happy donor-conceived children and their families can be
She never expected how far her story would reach.
After the blog came the book — Donor Child: A Child of Love — which has been translated from Danish into English to reach even more people. Her Instagram account @donorchild, grew out of a desire to interact more directly with others on similar journeys.
Emma’s family played a big role in this creative process.
“In writing the book I had to go a lot deeper with my questions and my understanding, but my family were there every step of the way,” she says.
Her sisters drew all of the illustrations in the book. Her parents helped proofread and even joined her on Instagram Live sessions so parents could also hear their side of the story.
Emma’s Fertility Awareness
Today, Emma is a public advocate not only for donor conception but for fertility awareness in general. She uses her platform to:
- Discuss different paths to parenthood
- Share the emotional realities of fertility journeys
- Encourage people to take their fertility seriously
“I’ve grown up knowing how much people can struggle with fertility and the huge loss they can feel when they try for years,” she says. “It’s really important that people get educated about this and realise fertility is not something to take for granted.”
Emma isn’t ready to start her own family just yet, but she’s already thinking ahead.
“I’ve seen how hard it can be to conceive, and it has made me more aware of my own fertility,” she explains. “If I wasn’t in this space, I might not think much about it. But it’s something I keep in mind when planning my life. I would love to have a family as happy as mine one day.”
Where to Find Emma’s Work
Emma’s book, Donor Child: A Child of Love, is available here:
Buy the book on Amazon
You can follow her work here:
Thinking About Donor Conception?
If you’re considering using donor conception and don’t know where to start, we’ve created a practical guide to help you begin your journey:
