Florida Couple Receives Child After Embryo Mix-Up at Fertility Clinic
A couple from Florida has adopted a child they mistakenly received due to an alleged embryo mix-up at a fertility clinic. Tiffany Score and Stephen Mills plan to raise the child, named Shea, following a legal agreement with Shea’s biological parents.
Shea was born in December last year. A lawsuit against IVF Life, the now-closed fertility clinic they used, revealed that genetic testing showed Shea was not related to Score and Mills but instead to another couple.
As reported by ABC News, Score and Mills expressed satisfaction at establishing a “mutually devised custody agreement” with Shea’s biological parents, aiming to nurture a “relationship of friendship and trust.”
The details of the custody agreement, filed on June 12, indicate that Score and Mills will continue to raise Shea as their child, maintaining custodial rights.
The couple’s attorney, Jack Scarola, noted that the media coverage surrounding the mix-up played a significant role in connecting them with Shea’s biological family. “Tiffany and Steve recognize the public interest in the details of the IVF experience,” he stated, emphasizing their respect for the privacy of Shea’s genetic parents as they build their relationship.
Score and Mills had sought the fertility clinic’s services for in vitro fertilization, ultimately leading to a lawsuit against IVF Life and Dr. Milton McNicol, the clinic’s operator before its closure. They claimed that the embryo implanted was not the one they had chosen and stored.
When Shea was born, Score and Mills, who are both white, noticed that the child seemed to have features associated with a non-white heritage. This prompted them to conduct genetic testing to confirm the lack of biological connection.
As part of their lawsuit, they requested the clinic notify all patients with stored embryos to check if they might received the wrong embryos. They also asked for financial coverage for genetic testing for all patients and children born through the clinic’s procedures over the last five years.
In their recent filing, the couple mentioned discovering errors in “plaintiffs’ embryonic history” warranting claims for damages without needing to demonstrate the usual requirements for medical malpractice.
IVF Life has stated it is cooperating with the investigation to understand the circumstances that led to this case. “Transparency and the welfare of the patients and children involved remain our priorities,” the clinic communicated in January, highlighting their commitment to address the issue comprehensively.
