JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 11

letters

Too Sympathetic
to Dr. Peven
My family and I were recent-
ly reading the article “
An
Unknown Mishpachah” (Dec.
31, page 14), and I wanted to
write in with some deep con-
cerns we had. We found Dr.
Peven’s actions absolutely appall-
ing and not ethical, both med-
ically and Jewishly speaking.
The article painted Dr. Peven in
a sympathetic light and not in
the way that I think a journalist
ethically has the responsibility
to paint someone who has com-
mitted su
ch disturbing actions.
Dr. Peven is referred in the
article as “a well-respected
doctor,
” and there are countless
quotes included by folks that
refer to him in a wonderful
light such as “Jamie has come
to think of him as a scientific
man who was just trying to help
families become whole,
” “con-
sidered to be a very competent
obstetrician-gynecologist,
” “Jean
… prefers the term “donor dad.
”
Though the small section
in the middle covers the dis-
cussion around fertility fraud,
it does so in a light that does
not seem to really condone the
actions, nor is there the word
“crime” or “criminal” anywhere

in the article. A doctor who
performs a medical treatment
without consent, when the
patient is able to consent, is
committing medical malprac-
tice and would, and should, be
prosecuted in Michigan.
I understand the article cov-
ers other elements of the story,
such as the biological children
learning that they are Jewish,
but the author missed the
opportunity to do their due dil-
igence and name these disturb-
ing actions for what they are.
There is a pattern in this coun-
try of male doctors doing things
for and to their female patients
without their consent, which
is what Dr. Peven did in this
case by eliminating their deci-
sion to use their chosen sperm
donor and secretly replacing the
sperm with his own.
I think we have a responsibil-
ity when telling stories to name
harmful actions when they take
place. Language matters and
what we use to describe people,
their actions, and the repercus-
sions of their actions shapes
future stories and future actions
of others.

— Tamara Stein

Suffolk University Law School,

JD Candidate

Correction
In “
Alumni Step Up,” Dec. 31, 2020, pg. 18, the woman on the
far right in this photo was misidentified. She is Liz Jacobs, not
Celia Savonen.
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Southfield, MI 48034

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Southfield, MI 48034
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Southfield, MI 48034
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Southfield, MI 48034

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Southfield, MI 48034

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Southfield, MI 48034
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Southfield, MI 48034

1-248-945-1111

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Southfield, MI 48034
1-248-945-1111

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