I was conceived with donor sperm – and as a teenager I found out I have 14 ‘diblings’

‘Despite initially feeling frogspawn-esque, I found great belonging in my teenage years discovering donor connections.’ Frozen donor sperm samples in a laboratory. Photograph: Wong Maye-E/AP

I’ve always known I was donor-conceived. As an adult, it is something I take joy in – knowing the unique way I came to be born. Long gone are the days of being afraid that a schoolboy would tease me that the sperm donor my parents used only wanted a couple of quid in his pocket and a glance at some risque magazines.

Now, you can catch me boring old friends, strangers I meet in the smoking area, or even first dates about it; sharing with pride a vegan recipe my donor-sibling (dibling) has texted me or the holiday photos I’ve just received from my sperm donor.