I'm 32, a controller in a medium-sized IT company and a sperm donor.
I came into contact with the topic for the first time in my old job, at that time I was working in a management consultancy in Nuremberg that did marketing analyzes for the Erlangen sperm bank.
A few years later, my wife and I talked about the desire for children of a same-sex couple who were friends with us. And my wife asked me if I would like to donate my semen to help such couples in general. I liked the idea - to help people who can't have children. I thought to myself: why shouldn't I do this when I am very healthy? The leftover seeds that are not used for the women can be used for research, which I think is great too.
I'm not backing up with that either. I tell my friends, it's a cool introductory topic when you're sitting with a beer and talking about the topic of children and family. I also like to joke that I am one of seven men who can donate at all based on their semen - we are an elitist club. My sister wondered why I was doing this, more precisely, that I was willing to help lesbians. Because otherwise I'm more of a mindset that I really like the father, mother, and child model. And because I want to support families more than single people. On the other hand, I don't mind two lesbians having children, I don't care.
So far I have donated my semen seven times. I always sit in a room like this in the sperm bank: sink, chair, heater on, warm light. And two porn magazines. It's not exactly comfortable now, more like a better hospital. Then I get 50 euros. After half a year, if the blood samples are okay, there is another 70 euros. So 130 euros per donation.
I'm really not doing this for the money. The money goes to my daughter's account, she is two. I love her very much, she changed my life 100 percent. I want people who can't have children to be able to love someone as much as I love my daughter. With this money she will have a better start in life than me financially. My parents came to Germany from Poland in the 1990s, they didn't speak German, their education wasn't recognized, and they had two young children. We had a hard time because we had so little money.
I don't think about the fact that I will father children whom I cannot protect. There's this idea that I can successfully pass on my DNA, that's what every man wants. I am also sure that these parents will raise their children with love after walking this lengthy and costly journey. I also don't feel like the father of these children. Because I won't have any contact with them, at least not for the first 16 years. I have nothing to do with them. But if you want to get to know me later to find out who your genetic father is, I'll be happy. Then you can see what happens. I'm open to everything. Also for long-term contact.
The story of Michael Sawicz is the beginning of our series “Having Children”. A new episode appears every day during the week - but you can also read it now in the digital edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.