How dis couple break law to make sure say dem no be brother and sister afta dem fall in love

"Di problem be say wen you no know who your donor be, you fit imagine say na evribodi."

For years, Arthur Kermalvezen, wey bin dey conceived wit donor sperm bin dey see im possible papa evriwia e go.

"I imagine say e go be my teacher, pipo wey I see for bus... and I bin dey vex well-well bicos e bin dey impossible to live like dis."

Wen e don grow up finish, e come fall in love wit Audrey wey dem conceive wit donor from Paris, di question come dey wear am down more.

Audrey bin describe di moment wey dem meet as "love at first sight" but di connection na romantic or genetic attraction?

Wen dem bin born dem, na only two sperm banks bin dey Paris and plenti men bin get multiple donations, so dem fit dey related true-true.

Bifor dem start to build dia life togeda, Arthur and Audrey bin need know weda dem be brother and sister.

But for France, di laws wey dey guide genetic testing and donor secrecy bin wan block dia way to di ansa dem bin dey find.

For France, na only research scientist, doctor or judge fit order and supervise genetic test, and pipo fit get fine of ova €3,500 ($4,288; £3,191) if dem catch dem wit home testing kit.

Bicos of dat, companies like 23andMe, Ancestry and MyHeritage no dey sell dia kits for France.

Supporters of di law, wey don dey ground since 1994, say na to stop sensitive genetic data to dey given to commercial companies, and dey prevent family kasala from unexpected results.

But Arthur bin point out say France na di only kontri for Europe wey to use those kain tests na crime.

Di couple bin meet bicos of dia shared campaigning

Even bifor her parents tell am as adult say dem use donor sperm take born am, Audrey don alreadi qualify as lawyer wey dey specialise for bioethics law.

Bicos of dis she don fully understand say di French law, wey don dey ground for ova 30 years dey guatantee donor anonymity even afta di donor don kpai.

But Audrey bin dey conceived for 1979 bifor dat kain legislation exist.

Wen she bin dey find oda donor conceived pipo wey dem born bifor 1994, she come jam Arthur.

E bin write book wia e bin tok about how e wan know more about im biological origins.

Audrey tok say e hit am wit di way e express feelings wey she ddey find hard to explain.

Di two of dem get loving families but dme dey drawn to di pipo wey dem no know wey help to create dem.

Wen dem meet for pesin, di chemistry bin come at once and na dia wahala start.

Dem bin need to know about dia papa dem but no one for authority gree tell dem.

To go find di truth

Afta months wey dem don dey look for doctor, dem find one for southern France wey collect €900 ($1,028; £764) cash from dia hand use am do genetic test and find out say dem no get di same papa.

But dem still no sure. Audrey say, "we bin dey worry say na fake im be".

Dem bin reason to do home DNA test but Audrey as lawyer strong head say she go do evritin legally.

So from 2010, she start plenti legal challenges to di French system.

She bin wan know weda her donor still dey alive and if so weda e still wan dey anonymous. Weda she fit get non-identifying information about how many times e bin donate sperm and weda Arthur fit be her step brother.

None of her efforts work. For 2015, France highest administrative court bin reject her final appeal.

Bifor dem born dia first pikin, one doctor gree investigate which information wey fit dey about dia sperm donors.

For French law, doctor fit get access to dis kain informate about dia patients but no fit give dem.

Di doctor find out say dia donors bin dey born for different years so e no fit be di same man, which mean say e break di law to give dem dat informate.

Audrey tok say, "e bin dey completely weird bicos e mean say di doctor bin sabi more htan me about me."

Even wit dis new informate, Arthur bin still dey fear say dem fit be cousins or related somehow, so afta years wey dem don dey fight am, dme finally run home DNA test.

Di test tok say dem no dey related.

Finding dia papa

Di DNA results also open oda doors. Afta 30 years wey e dey imagine who im papa fit be, Arthur finally meet im sperm donor for Christmas Day for 2017.

But Audrey get di biggest shock wen she find say among hher matches na one woman, Spohie wey she bin represent for court for di same kain legal rights.

She be her biological sister.

Audrey and Arthur bin take dia DNA test wit eight oda donor-conceived activists. Out of di 10, four find out say dem comot from di same sperm donor.

Audrey, her brother Peter, Sophie and Sophie's brother David torchlight di risk of shared donor.

Ogbonge gift

Many years later, genetic match wit one American, finally lead Audrey to her donor wey dem dey call Philippe but e don alreadi kpai.

Her mama send im family letter to thank am for di gift, im family say make Audrey come.

Audrey say, "evribodi get tears for eyes" as im sister bin no even know say e be donor.

Di discovery bin give Audrey di answers wey she don dey find for years. She find out about im family medical history. She see Philippe for old pictures and videos.

Audrey legal fight and Arthur book togeda don help dia to be changes to French donor laws. Now pipo wey dem conceive afta April 2025 fit find identifying information about dia donors wen dem don bicom aducts.

Till now sha,France still be one of di few kontris for Europe wia at home DNA tests still dey illegsl.

So for Audrey di fight still dey go on.

She tok say "evri pesin get right to know dia origins and di right to know dia history."

Based on episode of The Gift for BBC Radio 4