Mum finds out fertility doctor is her child’s DAD & ‘fathered 9 other kids after using his own sperm instead of donors’

A MUM was horrified to learn her fertility doctor is the real dad of her son, a bombshell lawsuit claims. Mary Ellen Lukezick, 71, was promised a “healthy young medical student” would be the father of her child more than 40 years ago. Mary Ellen Lukezich, 71, and her son Joseph Laedtke Heider, 37, have filed a joint lawsuit Credit: TMJ4 Mary says she feels like she has been raped Credit: TMJ4 But she is now suing Dr Federick Dettmann, now 91, amid fears he used his own sperm for insemination of her son, who is now 43. It comes after Mary’s son, Joseph Laedtka Heider, was shocked to find out he had nine half-siblings through an ancestry DNA result in December 2024. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Joseph said: “Words cannot fully express what it feels like to learn that your entire identity is built on a lie.” According to NBC News, Mary was a patient of Dettmann in 1982 and after struggling some time with her fertility, he recommended she try artificial insemination. Joseph made the horrific discovery after submitting his DNA to Ancestry.com Credit: TMJ4 The suit claims the former gynaecologist deceptively impregnated Mary Credit: TMJ4 In December 2024, Joseph submitted his DNA to Ancestry.com and made the shocking revelation that Dettmann was his biological father, the lawsuit alleges. The suit said: “Upon tracing these DNA connections, Joseph identified a direct genetic link to Dr Dettman’s family; that upon information and belief, this genetic information established that Dr Dettmann is Joseph’s biological father.” In 1982 after struggling some time struggling with her fertility, Dettmann recommended Mary try artificial insemination. For over four decades, the family remained unaware of the alleged switch until Joseph received an email from Ancestry.com about his biological connections. Most read in The Sun He said: “What he did was incomprehensible and it was such a betrayal of trust that I just wanted to make sure that if I have the opportunity to hold him accountable for the pain that he caused my mom and the things he put her through, that maybe she didn’t even know at the time.” Mary says she feels “violated”, saying she feels like she has been raped. She said: “It’s not right. And I want other women to feel ok about coming forward with this.” The lawsuit was filed on August 6 on behalf of the mother and son by their attorney Al Foeckler, with the Wisconsin Health Care Liability Insurance Plan and ABC Insurance Co also listed as defendants. At a news conference announcing the suit, Foeckler said: “These families come to fertility doctors at their most hopeful and their most helpless time. “Trusting completely in the physician who holds their dreams of parenthood in their hands. Dr Frederick Dettmann preyed on that desperation. He exploited that trust.” Foeckler revealed multiple women have come forward to share with own uncomfortable experiences with the Dr, dating as far back as the 70’s. He said: “There is no question in my mind that this man was a serial predator of women.” Dettmann is now retired and denies any wrongdoing in a statement submitted by his legal team on his behalf. In a statement to NBC News, attorney Sean Gaynor said Dettmann is aware of the allegations but is unable to speak about patient care because of privacy laws. He said: “The events referenced are alleged to have occurred almost 50 years ago. “Dr. Dettmann has no independent recollection of the individuals making these allegations and is unaware of any evidence supporting the claims being asserted.” According to Whitefish Bay police records, Dettmann had previously been accused of assaulting a woman during a gynaecological exam in 1985, TMJ 4 reported. No charges were issued, citing that proving the assault would be “too difficult”. A spokesperson for the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services told NBC News it does not have records of closed complaints from that long ago. Gaynor has since noted that Dettmann was “never sued, disciplined, investigated, had his licensure challenged, nor were any ethical complaints ever made against him.” Comment now