After submitting her DNA on Ancestry.com, a 36-year-old woman discovered she was the biological daughter of the fertility specialist her now-divorced parents had initially visited in the 1980s to help conceive a child, according to the Daily Beast.
Here are six things to know about the case.
1. Sally Ashby and Howard Fowler struggled to get pregnant and turned to reproductive specialist Gerald E. Mortimer, MD, for assistance during the 1980s. At the time, Dr. Mortimer diagnosed Ms. Ashby with a tipped uterus, and diagnosed Mr. Fowler with a low sperm count, court documents show.
2. According to the recent lawsuit filed by the couple's daughter, Kelli Rowlette, Dr. Mortimer allegedly inseminated Ms. Ashby with his own semen for three months, falsely stating he had inseminated her with a mixture of her husband's sperm and matching donors. In August 1980, Ms. Ashby became pregnant with Ms. Rowlette, and continued to see Dr. Mortimer for reproductive care.
3. The lawsuit states when Ms. Ashby revealed to Dr. Mortimer her family was moving to Washington state, Dr. Mortimer cried.
"Dr. Mortimer knew Kelli Rowlette was his biological daughter but did not disclose this to Ms. Ashby or Mr. Fowler. Dr. Mortimer fraudulently and knowingly concealed his use of his own genetic material in the procedure," according to the complaint.
4. Nearly 30 years later, Ms. Rowlette submitted her DNA on Ancestry.com and expressed concern when Dr. Mortimer, not Mr. Fowler, was listed as her birth father. She was disappointed and believed the results to be flawed, according to the report.
5. In October 2017, Ms. Rowlette was "horrified" to see her birth certificate with Dr. Mortimer's signature, and promptly asked her parents about their connection to the now-retired Idaho Falls, Idaho, physician.
6. Ms. Rowlette's lawsuit accuses Dr. Mortimer of medical negligence, battery and fraud, according to the report.
To access the report, click here.