The Barwin Babies: A CTV W5 Investigation
What would happen if you found out your biological father wasn’t who you thought he was?
In early 2016, the Dixon family, Davina and Daniel Dixon, had reason to question whether their daughter Rebecca was, in fact, Daniel’s biological child. In the 1980s, they had visited Dr. Barwin at his clinic, the Broadview Fertility Clinic, where he allegedly used his own sperm to impregnate at least two women during fertility treatments.
Around the same time, the Palmer family, Lyon and Janet Palmer, saw Dr. Barwin for his assistance in conceiving a child with anonymous donor sperm. Years later, their daughter Kathryn approached Dr. Barwin to complete a DNA test in which he confirmed that he was her biological father.
Further DNA testing later confirmed that Rebecca Dixon and Kathryn Palmer were in fact half-sisters by way of the same biological father, Dr. Norman Barwin.
Read more in our November 2016 blog post.
CTV’s W5 conducted an investigative report on the families affected by Dr. Barwin’s fertility practice that will air on Saturday, April 7th at 7:00 p.m.
In 2016, Nelligan O’Brien Payne commenced a class action law suit against Dr. Norman Barwin on behalf of his former patients and the children that Dr. Barwin’s fertility practice helped conceive at his clinic, the Broadview Fertility Clinic.