Who is Brother John Heineman from Brother Odd and what is their importance?

John Heineman was a scientist of some stature when he was engaged to Jennifer Calvino when she became pregnant. Carrying the child to term, Heineman was already behaving poorly where her pregnancy was concerned, but when she gave birth to a physically-deformed boy, John wanted nothing to do with them. Denying fatherhood, he cut them out of his life and continued his scientific explorations.