In this week’s episode, we are joined by journalist and podcast host, Louise McLoughlin.. Louise tells us the story of finding out she was donor-conceived, how she found her biological father and sister, and the feelings she experienced throughout the process. We also talk about what it was like for her family to accept that she wanted to search for her biological father. Louise discusses her work on her podcast, You Look Like Me, where she interviews  donor-conceived people and has become a leader giving voice to the donor-conceived community. We explore the trends and themes of donor conception, including the potential to have a large number of biological siblings, discovering your bio family, medical risks to having limited access to your medical history, and other experiences in the donor conceived community.  Louise advocates for listening to the donor-conceived people’s stories,  being honest with donor-conceived children and helping walk them through uncovering the qualities that came from their bio-parent. Tune in today to hear the impacts and story of a donor-conceived person. 

 

IN THIS EPISODE: 

 

• [3:00] Louise introduces herself and tells her story. 
• [5:41] Louise shares with us the moment she learned she was donor conceived. 
• [12:10] What was it like for Louise to find out her father wasn’t her biological father? 
• [15:53] If Louise could write the laws, what would she want to put into place?
• [19:25] What is the story about Louise finding a sister and her biological father? 
• [29:45] How has the relationship changed with Louise’s dad since finding her bio-dad?
• [36:20] What does “enough” mean to Louise regarding finding her bio-sister? 
• [37:06] What themes does Louise hear through her work? 
• [39:20] How does it feel to be going on the journey of uncovering who you are as a donor-conceived child? 
• [43:50] Relationships & Honesty are two things Louise is an advocate for. 

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

 

• Knowing the information about genetic medical issues is so important that people can be aware of any genetic illnesses early—knowledge of power from so many perspectives. 
• Wanting to know where these things come from - a sense of humor, nose, personality traits, etc. It doesn’t have to be wanting to replace a non-bio parent, but it can just be wanting to learn more about who you are. 
• Donor conceived children and the story are really just a part of what a modern family looks like now. There shouldn’t be shame carried with going on this journey of donor conceived children.  

 

RESOURCE LINKS

 

You Look Like Me Instagram

 

You Look Like Me Podcast

 

Stork'd Facebook Page

 

Stork'd on Instagram

 

Stork'd YouTube Channel

 

About Louise McLoughlin:

 

Louise McLoughlin is host of ‘You Look Like Me’, a podcast which explores the secrets and discoveries of donor conceived people, to explore issues around identity, honesty, and why knowing the truth about yourself matters. The podcast reached number 1 in the Irish documentary charts, 10 in the UK, and 69 in the U.S, and was a Guardian podcast of the week in 2021