City Fines Man Who Fathered 550 Children $1.4 Million In Child Support, Regrets It

Out Of This World

The situation Kelvin Hodges found himself in was beyond his comprehension. Besides making some extra money, he didn’t care about anything else. The consequences of his actions were far worse than he could have imagined.

Kelvin ended up losing everything due to this ordeal. The city sued him for $1.4 million after he lost his wife. However, Kelvin wasn’t going to give up easily.

Mr. Hodges

Kelvin Hodges, 55, was an Amsterdamer who loved life. As a career IT professional, he worked his way up through the ranks. A turn in his life forced him to make a quick decision.

In what way would he be able to break out of this rut? How would he proceed? What would he do if he decided to go off the beaten path?

Amsterdam

A person living in Amsterdam would find life in the Netherlands simple and convenient. Job opportunities were everywhere, and the government supported those who could not make an income.

That was known to Kelvin. In his case, however, the situation was a little more complex. The government couldn’t help him.

A Tough While

Kelvin lost his job at the call center where he worked. His wife was a foreigner who was still in the process of getting citizenship, so he couldn’t approach the government.

His wife would have to leave the country if he did so.

Unfavorable

Kelvin had other options, though. He could donate his cells to a fertility clinic as one option.

The Netherlands pays for donations. Despite not being the best option in the world, it was something he could use to survive until he could find something better.

Some Income

His first donation turned out not to be as bad as he anticipated. A few forms were filled out, his cells were turned in, he got paid, and he left.

It was an easy way to make money. Kelvin, however, forgot the consequences of easy money. The time would come for him to face them.

Constant Flow

The ease with which Kelvin made money shocked him, so he kept doing it. It was a weekly habit for him to donate.

There was no turning back once it became a routine. It was exactly what Kelvin needed to have money flowing in. In spite of odd jobs here and there, he survived on donations.

A Helping Hand

His bills were paid by donations. Despite the hardships, they were able to keep his household running and his wife at home.

His confidence in the process made him continue doing it. That was the advice he received from the clinic. He was very happy to hear he wouldn’t have to bear the burden.

Easy Money

Kelvin was earning $20 per visit. Despite the fact that it may not seem much, Kelvin had more than enough to keep him going at the rate at which he was going.

This was about to change as Kelvin was about to be presented with an opportunity of a lifetime. Suddenly, things changed drastically.

Solid Money

During a call center interview, Kelvin was offered an incredible opportunity. His salary increased significantly once he was promoted to Project Manager.

Eventually, his greed got the best of him. Those were the beginnings of the problems.

One Eventful Day

One day, Kelvin sat down with his wife, and the two of them spoke about what they wanted in the future. They were talking about having kids, something both of them were looking forward to.

But having kids would require a bit more money as the couple started living a bit more lavishly. So Kelvin’s salary was spent long before it should’ve been. However, they were determined to have that child, and they would work on getting it.

Needing Some Extra Cash

Because they needed that extra money, Kelvin kept on donating. That way, they could cover their lavish lifestyle while still saving money for the child they wanted to have.

The donations had continued for two whole years. And for a moment there, Kelvin lost track of how deep he had fallen into this. But he would be drawn back to reality soon enough.

Turned Away

Needing some extra funds, Kelvin went down his usual route. But something happened that would stop him in his tracks.

The first clinic on his route refused to let him donate. Kelvin was stunned, but there were many clinics along his route, so walking away from one wouldn’t cause any harm. Or would it? Kelvin was about to find out.

Very Confused

One clinic after another turned Kelvin down. That left him very confused as no one was willing to tell him why he wasn’t allowed to donate.

He had never heard of anyone being turned away from a fertilization clinic. Yet, there he was, standing in front of a place that had turned him away. What on earth was going on?

Why Wasn’t He Allowed To Donate?

Kelvin spent the rest of the day wondering what was going on. It simply didn’t make any sense. Nothing like that had ever happened to him.

And he really needed that extra cash if he wanted to give his wife the life she truly wanted. But Kelvin would get a letter that explained everything, and it would ruin everything he tried to build.

A Few Days Later

A few days later, Kelvin was going through his mail, and he saw that there was a letter from the local municipality mixed in with the rest of his post.

Kelvin didn’t understand why they were sending him a letter. But once he opened the letter, he knew why the fertility clinics were refusing him.

Shocking Discovery

Kelvin’s eyes scanned the words over and over again. He simply couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Had he really gone that far?

Five hundred and fifty children were no joke. He never thought there would ever be that many. In fact, he never really kept track. But this was far more than he ever imagined, and that really bothered him.

How Was That Possible?

Kelvin really couldn’t understand how things managed to go that far. He never actually imagined that someone’s cells would be used by so many people.

It was a massive shock to his system. But it was also just the beginning of his problems. This type of recklessness could end up ruining his entire life if he wasn’t careful.

It Kept Getting Worse

As the severity of the situation started sinking in, Kelvin discussed the predicament with his wife. She had known that he did these kinds of things to earn extra money. But she was just as shocked about the situation.

The problem is that Kelvin didn’t know what to make of the situation where his wife did, and her mind was already made up.

His Wife Filed For Divorce

Kelvin’s wife wasn’t pleased with him fathering 550 children at all. She was fine with him donating every now and then, but she had no idea he was doing it so often.

Because of that and the way the situation made her feel, she decided that divorce would be the best option. She simply couldn’t live with a man who was hiding something so massive from her. But that was just the beginning.

The City Was On His Case

Kelvin’s wife and her need for a divorce were the least of his concerns. The city was on his case as well, and what they wanted would be far more damaging.

As it turned out, one of the mothers had learned the truth about Kelvin and his donations, and she wasn’t pleased at all. She even went so far as to ask for child support.

One Lawsuit After Another

Her reaction had a snowball effect, and many of the other mothers started asking for the same. They believed that he should pay for his actions and that they were entitled to the money since they were raising his children.

They also started laying complaints about him at the clinics and the local municipality. That was why they were refusing his service.

The Biggest Shock Yet

But the mothers had nothing to go on, as both parties signed a consent form. The mothers weren’t entitled to any money from the donors, and the donors had no responsibility for the children.

However, the local municipality did have something to say, and they had every right to do so. They were adamant about letting Kelvin pay the $1.4 million in child support he owed the women because he actually broke the law.

It Was A Ridiculous Case

Kelvin personally thought that the case was a ridiculous one, as he expected the clinics to keep track of their donors. He felt it was their responsibility to let him know that he had reached his quota.

But the clinics didn’t see things the same way. If he had kept his donations to one clinic, they would’ve stuck to the laws. But he was visiting ten clinics, and at that time, they didn’t have a proper interface to check each other’s donors.

How Could They Blame Him?

But Kelvin still felt that he couldn’t be blamed. He kept track of the money, not the donations, and now he was the one suffering the consequences. Could they really do that to him?

Yes, they could because the law in the Netherlands stated that a donor was only allowed to father a maximum of 25 children. Kelvin had fathered 550.

He Needed To Act

Now that he understood the situation a little better, Kelvin knew that he needed to act. This had gotten to the point where he could get arrested if he didn’t play his cards right.

But what could he do? Sure, he could go up against all the frustrated mothers on his own. But there was no way he could go up against the municipality.

Best Lawyer In Town

Kelvin asked around about lawyers, and he was referred to the best family lawyer Amsterdam had to offer. He presented his case along with all the paperwork he had, hoping it would help him get out of the hole he had dug for himself.

What the lawyer said after that was something that really had him reconsidering his life’s decisions.

They Had A Solid Case

The lawyer informed Kelvin that it would be a tough game to play, but they did have a solid case. For one, the mothers weren’t entitled to a cent, as that was what they had agreed to.

The most difficult part of the case would be the government, as they had proof that he actually broke the law. But the lawyer had a plan for that as well.

It Was All About The Money

In the lawyer’s opinion, this was all about the money and not about the fact that Kelvin had fathered so many children.

The women had heard that he was a man with a good salary, and they wanted to take advantage of that. As for the city… They could blame no one but themselves. Kelvin would never have been in that situation if they made the laws more understandable.

They Wouldn’t Get It

The lawyer was determined to make sure Kelvin won these cases. He had a backup plan for everything that could possibly be thrown their way.

But did they really stand a chance against the municipality? Could Kelvin really win this case? Or was it just wishful thinking from their side? They would find out soon enough.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.