Kumari Shreya
Hulu’s ‘Spermworld’ follows various people involved in the online community of unregulated sperm donation. While many have found their problems being resolved due to this unique arrangement, each and every person has a story that is worth delving into. This includes the life of Steve Walker, who actually goes by Stefan Volker, whose foray into sperm donation was a recent one when he appeared in the documentary. His story, which is undeniably unique, highlights many positives and negatives of the world that the film delves into.
Stefan Volker Wanted to Do Something Good
When Stefan appeared in the Hulu documentary, he was 65 years old and seemed to be in the process of separating from his then-wife. From his account, it seemed evident that he did not have fond memories of her. He even confessed that he often replayed his past arguments with her and thought about what he wanted to say now to those statements. At the time of his participation in the movie, he had started donating sperm only about six months ago, during which time he had been successful in helping three women get pregnant.
When explaining his reasons for donating, he claimed that he wanted to do something good. He then added that doing this made him feel wanted, needed, and worth something to someone else. It is through this process that he met Rachel Stanley. She shared with him that she wanted someone who was not a carrier of Cystic fibrosis (CF), as she herself had been diagnosed with the same. In order to make her feel comfortable, Stefan tried to be supportive and encouraged a good relationship between the two.
As he got to know Rachel more and more, it seemed like Stefan had developed deeper feelings for her. He even broached the topic of her identity as a bisexual woman, pondering if there was anything that might attract him toward the “male” partners, given that she had only had one relationship with a man in the past. Furthermore, he invited Rachel for a movie night, something that she agreed to, and she seemed to enjoy his company.
However, as time progressed, Rachel confessed that she felt like she was leading Stefan on. She talked it out with her friend and decided to approach the topic openly with Stefan, stating that she did not want to pursue a romantic relationship with him but did enjoy his company. Stefan refuted that she had led him on, claiming that the idea of a relationship between them was indeed a far-fetched one, though he did admit that he found her attractive.
Despite this hiccup, Stefan continued to act as Rachel’s sperm donor. However, when the process did not seem to work after multiple attempts, Stefan proposed the idea that maybe she should try with a different donor, as he had heard that this could sometimes be more effective. He himself confessed that he had decided to maybe look for a romantic relationship with someone closer to his age.
Where is Stefan Volker Now?
Based in Knoxville, Tennesse, Stefan Volker continues to be active as a sperm donor. He has made use of social media to promote his venture, often hyping up how much he prioritizes the comfort of the women who to him as receivers, especially if they are local to his area and arrive at his home for the process. Stefan does not charge money for his donations, claiming he was doing this to simply do something good. By the end of the production of the Hulu movie, he had five biological children, with two more on the way.
As shared in the documentary, Stefan works as a Lyft driver. It does seem like while he does not charge for the donations themselves, his travel fare is compensated if he needs to travel away from his home for donations. He often shares news of successful inseminations on social media and celebrates each one with much joy. He is also the admin of a Facebook group called Sperm Donor Connections, which has 349 members as of writing. For the most part, it seems like Stefan prefers not to share much about his personal life with the public. That said, he has been more than open to promoting the documentary, having seemingly enjoyed the production process, calling it an “amazing and life-changing experience!”
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