CASE WARRIORS
Shirley Pratten is one of Canada's earliest voices advocating for offspring rights and calling for national reform of the country's sperm donation system, including full legal protection for gamete donors. Shirley first appeared in a CBC National News short with her former husband in 1985 This news short highlighted the psychosocial impacts of having a child through anonymous donor conception within a system that encouraged secrecy and deception about disclosing their child's true origins.
Since 1987 she has been Media Spokesperson and was a founding member along with lawyer Carey Linde of The New Reproductive Alternatives Society (NRAS), Canada's first support and lobby group for donor families. NRAS advocates primarily for the rights and needs of donor conceived people. She was a relentless lobbyist throughout Canada's legislative process, in taking an ethical stand on the Human Rights and Social Justice issues for offspring to have access and protection under the law of their genetic and medical histories.
This commenced with presentations before the Royal Commission on Reproductive Technologies in the early 90's, government consultations through Bill C47, Bill C56, Bill C13 and presentations to the Standing Committee on Health, and Senate Committee on Social Affairs Science and Technology prior to the passage of Bill C6 in April 2004 (An Act respecting Assisted Human Reproduction and related research). On learning that Canada's new Assisted Human Reproductive Agency could not protect historical donor conception files, she sought the legal advice of lawyers Joe Arvay Q.C. and Sean Hern. Most recently she has been working behind the scenes in full support of her daughter Olivia in this legal suit.
In her professional life Shirley is a community mental health nurse and an active participant in B.C Nurses Union activities, including being a Contract and Occupational Health and Safety Steward.
Shirley remains a strong advocate who continues to keep the voices of children and adults conceived through Reproductive Technologies at the centre of the debate.
