Sophomore Katie Bentley stands in hallway of Whitefish Bay High school.

MILWAUKEE - Watching people’s parents is like seeing a picture of their future.  But some teens do not know their biological parents; they only know one half of where they came from, but this doesn’t seem to effect teens very much.

Teens can lose contact with their parents in many different ways. Some teens’ mothers or fathers leave, sperm or egg donors help with the use of artificial insemination, and others given up for adoption.

Freshman Sydney Grant’s father left when she was 7-years-old. “He was a big mystery to me, even when he was in my life, because he lied about who he was,” Grant said.

“I’ve never met my grandparents on his side, but I don’t need to know them to live a good life.” 

While she doesn’t communicate with her biological father, Grant still has father figures in her life: Uncles, grandparents and family friends take the place of a male role model.

“Life without a father isn’t bad. It’s just another kind of family,” Grant said.

Freshman Taylor Emmons at Lake Howell High School in Orlando, FL said the lack of a father figure hardly affects her either.  Emmons was created through artificial insemination, where doctors insert sperm into a woman’s vagina using a syringe.

Sperm donors only relinquish certain information to the family, depending on the facility.  In Emmon’s case, she knows her donor’s blood type, past diseases, diseases throughout the family, state of current residence, year of birth, height, hair color, eye color and medical specificities.

Or, as Emmons says, “Everything but his name.”

“I wish I knew his name and what he looked like, but I’m fine without meeting him,” Emmons said. “I just want a picture or something like that.”

Emmons doesn’t feel she misses out on anything, “All my friends say ‘dads are so strict.’ So I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything good by having two moms and no dad. It doesn’t matter to me,” Emmons said.

Sophomore Katherine Jefferies, another child born through artificial insemination, at Lincoln High School in San Jose, California, agrees with Emmons viewpoint. 

They both agree they do not need anything more since they say they have two parents who love [them].

The effect of not knowing one’s parents has on adopted teenagers varies. 

Freshman Adia Humrich-Sexton says being adopted does not deeply affect her since her adoptive family took her in as a newborn.

“I think of them as my real parents, I don’t have much contact with my birth parents,” Humrich-Sexton said. 

Humrich-Sexton’s birth parents sent her a letter when she was 6-years-old, her most recent connection with them. “I’ve always had the option to write to them, but I never wanted to,” Humrich-Sexton said.

“My mom sent them my school picture from last year. If they write back, maybe I’ll write a letter.” 

All in all, not knowing half or more biological parent(s) does not make a teen any less of a person.  It does not affect how they live their lives or what they make of themselves. Teens have learned to take what they have and do the best they can with it.