Sisters meet their sperm donor father after finding each other via DNA test

Two women who discovered they were half-sisters conceived by the same sperm donor have met their biological father for the first time. 

Carlie McMaster, 28, from Ontario, Canada, and Rylee Hall, 26, from Minnesota, found out they were related via AncestryDNA and met in person last year after months of talking. 

Together, they tracked down their donor dad, Grant, and documented their first meeting on the latest episode of the Truly series ‘My Extraordinary Family.’

‘Even though we do have parents that brought us up, without him helping… we really wouldn’t be here,’ Rylee explained of their connection.

Together, Carlie and Rylee tracked down their biological dad, Grant, and documented their first meeting on the Truly series ‘My Extraordinary Family’

Unlike her half-sister, Rylee knew she was a sperm donor baby when she joined AncestryDNA. She didn’t have any siblings growing up, and she hoped to find relatives on the site. 

Carlie had no idea that her parents had used a sperm donor when she submitted her at-home DNA kit. She explained that she only did DNA testing because her father had passed away from a heart attack in 2015.

She wanted to see if there were any other hereditary health issues she needed to be aware of, but she got more than she bargained for when Rylee immediately reached out to her. 

‘I first thought that my dad had gotten around, to be honest,’ Carlie said, explaining that she assumed her father had impregnated someone in the U.S. 

Carlie (left) and Rylee (right) were unaware that they were sperm donor babies growing up. Rylee’s mom told her the truth before she joined AncestryDNA 

Carlie (pictured as a child) grew up thinking her father was her biological dad. Her parents never intended on telling her the truth 

‘When she said she was a sperm donor baby, I think I just got more confused because I didn’t even think to question I might be one.’

Roughly nine months after they started talking, Carlie’s mother, Andrea, confessed that her dad wasn’t her biological father. 

Carlie explained that the news was especially difficult because her father had passed away, and she wasn’t able to ask him about it. 

During the episode, the half-sisters sat down with Andrea while video chatting with Rylee’s mom, Linda. 

Carlie’s mom admitted that she likely wouldn’t have told her daughter the truth if she didn’t find out on her own.

Carlie’s father had passed away from a heart attack in 2015, and she joined AncestryDNA to see if there were any other hereditary health issues she needed to be aware of

Carlie was stunned when she found out she has a half-sister and initially assume that her father had impregnated another woman in the U.S.

‘It was a secret kept for many years, not thinking she maybe needed to know until she found out otherwise,’ she explained. 

However, Linda insisted that she had always planned on telling Rylee she was a sperm donor baby. She was just waiting until the right time.   

‘A lot of people knew. It wasn’t a secret, but I just didn’t want you to be angry,’ she said. ‘I wanted you to understand.’   

Rylee later joined another DNA service to try to find their biological father. After matching with other relatives, she was able to track Grant down on Facebook. 

‘We knew our donor wanted to be found because when my parents did it, they got a bunch of papers, and one of the questions was: “Would you be open to meeting?” It was a yes or no question. He circled yes,’  Rylee explained. 

Months after Carlie connected with Rylee, her mother, Andrea (pictured) confessed that she and her late father had used a sperm donor to conceive

During the episode, the half-sisters sat down with Andrea while video chatting with Rylee’s mom, Linda, who explained that she wanted to wait for the right time to tell her daughter 

They set up a phone call with him and spent two hours chatting. Their conversations led to them agreeing to meet in person. The physical similarities between Carlie, Rylee, and their donor dad were uncanny.  

Grant explained that he was donating platelets when he saw an ad in an elevator for a fertility clinic that was seeking sperm donations for couples who were having trouble conceiving. 

‘I thought that was a good cause,’ he recalled. 

Grant, who was a sperm donor for three years, shared that he always wondered what his biological children were like. 

Rylee later joined another DNA service to try to find their biological father. After matching with other relatives, she was able to track Grant down on Facebook

The three of them agreed to meet after having a number of conversations 

‘When you guys were driving up, I was feeling a little anxious,’ he told Carlie and Rylie. ‘You were the first people, daughters, that I’ve met like this.’ 

When asked if he thinks of them as his children, he made it clear that he is not trying to be another father figure in their lives.  

‘We have a genetic connection,’ he said. ‘That is something that we just kind of understand exists between us. The parenting roles, the moms and dads that raised them, I’m not here to replace any of that.’ 

‘I just want to be able to support the girls in what they are doing,’ he added. 

The half-sisters’ experience inspired them to start their podcast, ‘Our Daddy’s a Donor,’ which is meant to be a safe space for ‘donor-conceived stories.’ 

The physical similarities between Carlie, Rylee, and their donor dad were uncanny

Carlie and Rylie hope to find other siblings while continuing their relationship with their biological father 

Carlie noted that there are misconceptions about sperm donation, and some people — particularly those from older generations — still see it as being  ‘unnatural.’ 

‘We’re still people,’ she said. ‘We’re not just weird robots made in a factory or something.’

Carlie and Rylie hope to find more of their siblings in the future, but they are aware that they will never know how many there are if they don’t all do DNA testing.  

‘Going forward, I really hope that we can out more, and we can just keep our relationship going strong like it is,’ Rylee said. 

Carlie added that they also want to continue their relationship with their donor dad ‘for sure.’