Our Father is a recently released Netflix Documentary about a doctor named Donald Cline who had used his sperm to inseminate his patients without their consent.
Initially, he told the patients that the specimens were exclusive and selective and only to be used in 3 cases at max, but in reality, he was using his sperms to inseminate his patients without their consent.
The crime documentary series reveals the truth about the whole story and how the group of siblings managed to find the truth behind the whole story and find out those who have also been affected by Dr. Cline’s deeds.
So if you have questions like What happened to Donald Cline? Was He Punished? and Where is he now? Then you have managed to land on the right page as this article will explain all those in detail.
Our Father Plot:-Story of Sibling #1 Jacoba Ballard
Jacoba Ballard learns she is of donor sperm after a DNA test. When Jacoba asked her mother about the same, she stated it was done at Doctor Donald Cline’s Clinic.
As per Jacoba’s mother, Donald Cline was professional; he promised them that he would match them with a donor who would look like her husband.
He stated they would use one of the medical students’ specimens for the usage. Jacoba always wanted siblings of her own, but all she knew was that she was born of donor sperm.
Jacoba once tried calling Doctor Cline’s office to know if they could tell her the donor’s name who donated the sperm? And wanted to know more about the families who also had the same donor. Jacoba was trying to understand all these to connect with her half-siblings.
But as that didn’t go through so, Jacoba thought of having a DNA test that would at least reveal the truth about the siblings.
Our Father Ending Explained-Jacoba Ballard (Image Credit: Netflix)But as it turns out, the results reveal Jacoba is related to 7 siblings, but this was strange as during her mother Deborah’s procedure, the doctor told her mother that they didn’t use the donor more than three times then, why there are seven siblings.
When Jacoba started her investigation with seven other siblings to find who her biological father was. They were able to find a lady named Sylvia, Jacoba’s second cousin.
Sylvia was on 23andme, so when Jacoba reached out to Sylvia, she revealed the details about the family tree, and one of the names that popped out there was Swinford, and Swinford was Donald Cline’s mother’s maiden name.
When Jacoba asked if Cline’s surname was related to the family, Jacoba revealed that there was a cousin Don, a doctor. After that, Jacoba understood that Don meant Donald Cline, the doctor and she is linked to him means he might be her biological father.
All these revelations came out as a shock to Jacoba. How can a doctor use his sperm to inseminate their patients without their consent?
Jacoba then reached out to Attorney General’s office and complained. The office replied with an email, but the matter was not investigated further Jacoba also tried to reach many media houses, but nobody returned any calls.
Lastly, Jacoba got help from one of the news reporters, Angela. Angela received a message from Jacoba on Facebook with a detailed summary of the matter, followed by proof that Doctor Donald Cline inseminated multiple women with his sperm.
Our Father Ending Explained-Angela (Image Credit: Netflix)Angela, the news reporter, called Donald and asked him about the truths. Donald again stated that he is not the father, and he didn’t inseminate multiple women with his sperm.
As per Donald, The Clinic used a medical practitioner’s sperm, and each medical practitioner’s sperm was not used more than three times.
When Angela asked Donald to at least testify and take a DNA test to clear all these acquisitions, Donald denied taking any such DNA tests.
Therefore since they didn’t have Donald’s DNA tests, so they didn’t could move forward; therefore, one of the half-siblings reached out to all of Cline’s children and grandchildren and asked them if someone in their family donated sperm and it was about a week or two later, Doug and Donna, Dr. Cline’s children messaged Jacoba.
They discussed that Donald did agree that he was the biological father, but the only time Cline had used the sperm was when he didn’t have access to the donor, and there cannot be any siblings more than 10.
Sibling #14 Julie Harmon
The next sibling story is Julie, who also saw the recent news about the whole story of some man who inseminated multiple women with his sperm.
Julie saw the news and noticed Jacoba, and both of them did look alike; therefore, Julie informed her mother, Dianna, about it. Dianna was also one of the patients of Donald Cline.
Dianna told her that this doesn’t apply to her as she cannot be Donald’s child as, during their procedure, they asked Donald to use her husband’s sperm.
Julie turned to Jacoba with no other options left, and Jacoba suggested taking a DNA test. If Jacoba’s name is in the results as one of her siblings, then the truth will be revealed.
Julie took the DNA test, and the result came out as expected that Julie is indeed related to Jacoba, which means Donald also inseminated Julie’s mother Dianna with his sperm without her consent.
Our Father Ending Explained-Julie Harmon (Image Credit: Netflix)All these revelations broke Julie, Dianna, and her husband’s hearts, and the family was utterly devastated because such a revelation ruined their identity and family reputation.
What did Jacoba do next?
Jacoba told Doug, Donald’s son that she wants to meet Donald one to one as she had some questions for him, which she requires answers to.
Jacoba also told Doug that she wants Doug to look him in the eye and tell her the truth.
Doug agreed and told Jacoba that she and five other siblings could meet him. However, in the meeting, Donald carried a gun to intimidate the siblings and ask everyone about their profession.
When they discussed why Donald asked why he used his sperm to inseminate their mothers, Donald replied he only did it because the mothers were desperate for a child, and he only did it to help them.
#Sibling 17 Matt White
Matt White’s mother, Liz White, revealed when she used to visit Donald’s office, he was always alone, even if it was a weekend; in total, in Donald’s office, there were a total of 15 sessions and every time during their sessions Donald used to go inside his office for some time and then he used to come back with the sperm specimen.
Liz White revealed he might have been ejaculated inside his chamber and then came back with his sperms and those he might have used to inseminate her just like he did with other victims.
Our Father Ending Explained-Matt White (Image Credit: Netflix)After this, the whole news now began to erupt the Fox 59 news channel called Donald to testify against these acquisitions, Donald in turn now asks for help from Jacoba and told her to stop the press from coming to him as if this news goes public, his 57-year marriage will come to an end.
But Jacoba didn’t sympathize with Donald as he has practically ruined her life, Mat’s life, Julie’s life, and god know how many more such cases will be revealed.
So she thought of going ahead with the fight as these things should come to the public, and people should be aware of such a case.
#Sibling 22 Heather Woock’s Story
Julie and Jacoba reached out to Heather and told her that she might be related to them and Doctor Donald Cline could be her father.
Initially, Heather couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but after giving it much thought, she thought about helping Julie and Jacoba in their fight to bring out the truth about Doctor Donald Cline’s acts.
She also learned the truth after the DNA test on 23andme.
Our Father Ending Explained-Heather Woock (Image Credit: Netflix)#Sibling 33 Lisa Shepherd Stidham’s Story
Lisa Shepherd also learned the same about herself after doing a DNA test and discovered that Dr. Cline is her father.
When she asked her mother whether she and her father had any trouble conceiving, she revealed her dad had a low sperm count, because of which they went to Dr. Donald Cline’s office to have a procedure done both the time Lisa’s father provided the specimen.
Still, Dr. Donald Cline didn’t use their specimen instead, he used his own specimen to inseminate without their consent.
Lisa’s Mom and dad had no idea what happened to them, plus Lisa was concerned with her daughter’s dating as there are so many half-siblings around in the locality. They also needed to know the truth about their family before dating.
Our Father Ending Explained-Lisa Shepherd Stidham (Image Credit: Netflix)Everyone associated with Donald Cline was situated within a 25-mile radius, so they all had to be sure about their surroundings because the new results of the DNA tests appeared daily, and they all were getting introduced to new offspring Donald Cline.
It felt like all of the siblings were having an identity crisis and they were scared for their daughter and sons, whether they will data anyone who was an offspring or half-siblings of them.
Did news anchor Angela meet with Doctor Donald Cline? What did Doctor Donald Cline reveal in the interview?
The news anchor, Angela, met with Doctor Donald Cline after much effort and probably gave him the warning to air the story with his name.
Because of this, Dr. Donald Cline finally agreed to meet her, and there Dr. Cline, as usual, told Angela not to go forward with the story and not to use his name.
Dr. Donald indirectly threatened her not to go forward with the story. As we progressed ahead, Jacoba found that in 1963 Dr. Cline, while driving, had hit a little girl with his car, and the girl ended up dying. According to Dr. Cline, the situation traumatised him, becoming more religious afterwards.
Our Father Ending Explained-Doctor Cline (Image Credit: Netflix)How did the Siblings Angela and Tim Delany manage to get Doctor Cline’s DNA?
Starting from 2015, Angela tried reaching out to the attorney general for an interview. She also reached out to the Marion County prosecutor; finally, Tim Delany, one of the Marion County prosecutors, answered the call.
Tim Delany began to check on this case. He told the siblings that this could be sexual harassment or battery, the reason being in the context the case was bought, the Indiana Juries would not go to accuse Dr. Cline based on “rape by deception theories” cause they would always question whether the women’s desire for child legitimate Donald Cline’s deception.
Plus there was also no law to charge Donald Cline for using his sperm as a medical practitioner to inseminate his patients without their consent.
But finally, Tim Delany and the Siblings found that Donald had lied to the attorney general that he didn’t use his sperm to inseminate his patients. That is how Tim Delany decided to charge Dr. Cline based on obstruction of justice.
As part of the procedure, they finally got Dr. Cline’s DNA samples, and as they matched with the siblings, the legal war began.
Our Father Ending Explained (Image Credit: Netflix)#Sibling 48 Jason Hyatt
Sibling Jason Hyatt also learned about his biological father through a DNA test. Jacoba told Jason the truth about her father and how it happened.
#Sibling 53 Carrie Foster
Carrie Foster also got to know about the truth after a DNA test. She learned that although her parents were still completely fit, Doctor Donald Cline didn’t use her father’s sperm; instead, he was inseminated with his sperm.
Our Father Ending Explained-Carrie Foster (Image Credit: Netflix)Plus, as per the law, anybody with health issues cannot be a donor, and Doctor Donald’s autoimmune disease doesn’t make him fit for a donor. Then how does Dr. Cline use his sperm to inseminate a patient without their consent, knowing he is not even fit to be a donor.
#Sibling 61 Alison Kramer
Alison Kramer took a DNA test when she and her daughter got diagnosed with a genetic disorder. When she checked the DNA family, she noticed other siblings such as siblings Jacoba Ballard, Julie Harmon, and Matt White as her siblings in 23andme.
Later on, after witnessing Jacoba on a Dr. Phil TV Show, after which she learned about the truth. Later she confirmed the same by looking at 23andme and learned all the siblings showing on the show were also listed as her siblings.
Our Father Ending Explained: What happened to Donald Cline? Was He Punished? and Where is he now?
In 2017, the Siblings Jacoba Ballard, Julie Harmon, Matt White, Heather Woock, Lisa Shepherd-Stidham, Jason Hyatt, Carrie Foster, and Alison Kramer went into a legal war with Doctor Donald Cline as they lodged a complaint against him, Indiana Attorney General.
But during that time there was no law to criminalise this act of Dr. Cline. Therefore Dr. Cline was left as a free man by the court. He didn’t spend any jail time. Instead, he was just charged with two counts of obstructions of justice, and the court suspended his medical practitioner certificate and issued a $500 fine.
Our Father Ending Explained-What happened to Donald Cline? (Image Credit: Netflix)The punishment was surely not enough for his deeds and how many lives he has affected. Today Doctor Cline is still a free man, and there is still no federal law for illicit donor insemination.
However, in 2018 after a successful campaign, the mothers and the siblings passed legislation in Indiana to make illicit donor insemination illegal.
Furthermore, 44 more doctors were found who used the same method as Doctor Cline to inseminate fertility parents with their own sperm, and Cline remains prolific among these doctors.
As of now, 94 siblings of Doctor Cline have been identified and counting++, but the whereabouts of Dr. Donald Cline as of now is unknown.
