Filling the void?

Okay, so I watch Oprah every now and then. Not saying I am hooked onto her show, but I like the topics discussed, and sometimes, it's fun to look at from a different perspective. So yesterday, I had a long day working with elderly with severe mental illness and all, and when I came back home at 5pm, I didn't have a choice but to tune in to Oprah - the only show sane enough for my taste at that time.

The topic discussed yesterday was about sperm donors and the children who came out of this and their reunion. Check it out here: http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200802/tows_past_20080208.jhtml

The show is titled "The Ultimate Reunion: When Dad Is a Sperm Donor". Here, Oprah talked to people who were conceived this way, i.e. a biological mother and a sperm-donor dad. The show revolved around how these children grow up and how these things affect them. This show featured a family where the son found out how his father wasn't his biological father and decided to search for his "real" or biological "dad". This man's father had been with him since the day he was born and treated him the same way a biological father would treat his son, or even better, but the son still wanted to know his "other side of the family".

Did he find his "real" father? Yes, he did, and now, his biological father is part of this man's life. There were other people on the show who also wanted to find out who their real fathers were and if possible, wanted a relationship with those "dads". One of the women had also found her real father and called her dad, or dad #2. In fact, most of the people featured on the show were happy about finding their biological fathers, including the wives of those sperm donors.

Now, my question is, would everyone be this open to becoming a father out of the blue? To all you sperm donors out there, when you gave your sperm for $40 a pop, did you expect a child knocking on your door 18 years later calling you dad? If not, how would you feel if they did? And this question isn't only for men, it's also for women who have their eggs harvested for donation.

My main concern aren't those who donated the sperm but children who were created out of this. On the show, they showed how a lot of those children are seeking out their biological fathers and want to know their side of the family and their family and medical history. My heart goes out to those who are the real fathers of such kids, not the biological fathers. At the same time, I also think about people who actually seek out their biological fathers and siblings.

Why do they want to seek out the family they never knew? The show also talked about the 2 people who were fathered by the same sperm-donor - number 46. Their father is merely a number and technically, they're siblings. They have never seen each other and didn't even know the other existed but now, because they know the other exists, want to meet each other and have a relationship. Hell, I know of siblings who grew up together but can't stand each other, and meet the other few minutes a year over holidays. So my question is, what makes such people long for those relationships and people?

Would people from other cultures do the same? Would people who are very happy with their lives seek out their biological siblings and fathers? Can this be applied to everyone? Would people who are satisfied with their lives and family do the same? What makes some people want to know more about their biological parents? What makes some people to believe that knowing their biological father/sibling will lead to a better life? What makes some people to think that a life without a biological father they never knew is incomplete? Are these people different from you and me, or are they the same...trying to fill the void.....