SEATTLE — Morgen White always wondered what her biological father would be like. She grew up only knowing him as "Donor #893," but that changed last year when the genetic testing site 23 & Me connected them.
"Donor #893" was Spokane's Ryan Johnson, who reached out to Morgen and her mother Liz White. The Ballard teen got to meet Johnson, his wife and three children, and has spent the last year building a relationship.
While Morgen grew up understanding each family situation is different and the lack of a father figure didn't make her less whole, she says she still struggled with wondering who he was or what he was doing.
Luckily, Liz purposely chose a donor willing to meet his biological children one day.
"I always knew they were there, we had a baby picture on the fridge so my kids always knew there was a possibility one day, and it's been amazing," Johnson said. Johnson and his wife made the decision to donate sperm together after seeing couples struggle to have children.
Morgen said she's been connected to at least nine other half-siblings, all from the same donor and loves having so many people that care about and support her. When the opportunity arose to meet Johnson, she took it.
"You feel automatically connected, but at the same time you know you still don't know them right away," Morgen said about seeing her father for the first time.
As for the future? Morgen and Johnson continue to develop their relationship. Johnson said its a no brainer, Morgen is his daughter.
"We're all really one human family, so we have a lot of different parts," Morgen's mother Liz said.
Morgen first wrote about meeting Johnson as part of her internship with KUOW Radioactive Youth Media program.
Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.