Podcast #011 - Nick Isel

We are overjoyed to finally introduce our next guest on Venus Rising, Nick Isel. At age 15, Nick learned that he and his sister were donor conceived. Nick is one of 215 babies known infamously as “Nobel babies”; products of eugenicist Robert Graham’s Repository for Germinal Choice, a California-based sperm bank known as “The Nobel Bank”, claiming to only to accept “genius” sperm specimens.

Nick Isel was featured prominently in the book Genius Factory as a teenager under the pseudonym "Tom Legare". The author "David Plotz" interviewed him about his experiences growing up as a progeny of the Repository for Germinal Choice. Nick has also been featured in Esquire magazine, NPR Snap Judgement, "This is Life with Lisa Ling", and a short documentary titled The Need to Know.

Importantly, now, Nick is an advocate for the rights of the "Donor-Conceived" community and recently filed a citizen's petition to the US FDA regarding ending "Donor Anonymity" for sperm/egg donation establishments and increasing regulations and oversight. Specifically, Nick, wants donor- conceived children to have access to medical information, including plausible genetic diseases. This petition is still under review and is available for your comment here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2016-P-2955-0087 . Today we get the unique opportunity to talk candidly with Nick about his advocacy work and this important petition he authored.

Citizen’s Petition: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2016-P-2955-0087

IMDB Page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8749966/

Genius Factory is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Factory-Curious-History-Nobel/dp/0812970527

Genius Factory Trailer: https://www.cbc.ca/documentarychannel/docs/genius-factory

The Need to Know Full-Length Video: https://vimeo.com/331831472