Massachusetts readers may be interested in actor Jason Patric’s battle for the right to be a constant presence in the life of his 4-year-old son. In a custody fight turned ugly, Patric says he doesn’t want to be just a sperm donor. He wants full father’s rights as a co-parent and is willing to go to court to make it happen.

According to Patric, he and his ex-girlfriend tried to conceive for several years to no avail. They then opted for in vitro fertilization. Their son, Gus, was the result.

Patric asserts he was not merely a sperm donor. He says he is being denied access to his son because he is no longer in a relationship with the child’s mother. His ex-girlfriend denies that is the motivation. She says Patric offered to be a sperm donor and agreed to relinquish his rights as a father.

Shortly after the two split, Patric reportedly began losing access to his son. In response, he filed a paternity case seeking custody of the boy, who was 2 years old at the time. Just under a year later, the court ruled that Patric was, in fact, not the natural father due to the in vitro fertilization process used to facilitate the pregnancy. Patric has since appealed the ruling and is awaiting a hearing scheduled for early spring.

Patric says he once had a loving relationship with his child and that he wants to regain that closeness. If successful, his appeal could have a positive impact on other cases in which father’s rights are affected. Many parents fighting similar battles, whether in Massachusetts or elsewhere, will be interested in the outcome and how it might effect their own situations.

Source: People, Jason Patric Custody Battle: I Miss My Son, Ken Lee, Feb. 18, 2014