Florida Couple Files Lawsuit After Fertility Clinic Implants Wrong Embryo
A Florida couple has initiated legal proceedings against a fertility clinic after discovering they were implanted with another family's embryo, resulting in the birth of a child who is not genetically related to either parent.
Legal Action Against IVF Life Inc
Tiffany Score and Steven Mills have filed a lawsuit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court against IVF Life Inc, which operates as the Fertility Center of Orlando, and its lead physician, Dr Milton McNichol. The legal action, initially filed under pseudonyms to protect family privacy, details how three viable embryos were created using Score's eggs and Mills's sperm, with one successfully implanted in April 2025.
The couple welcomed their daughter Shea on 11 December, but shortly after her birth, they noticed the baby appeared to be of a different race than either Caucasian parent. Subsequent genetic testing confirmed the devastating reality that the child "had no genetic relationship to either of the plaintiffs", according to court documents.
Moral Obligation to Find Biological Parents
In a heartfelt Facebook post on 29 January, Score explained their complex situation to friends and family while requesting information about Shea's biological parents. "While we are profoundly grateful to have Shea in our lives and love her immeasurably, we also recognize that we have a moral obligation to find her genetic parents," she wrote.
The couple expressed how their joy over Shea's birth is complicated by the devastating reality that her genetic parents - whom they have yet to identify - or possibly another family entirely, may have received their genetic embryo. Score described feeling "heartbroken, devastated, and confused" by the situation.
Family's Emotional Struggle and Financial Support
Score revealed that their family has been "living like prisoners in our own home" and made her public statement partly to begin living more freely and celebrate their daughter. The couple has stated they will not issue further comments until their legal counsel makes progress, though they continue to seek information about the family who might be affected on the other side of this error.
Alexa Score, Tiffany's sister, established a GoFundMe campaign to support the family, which has raised $10,193 toward its $12,000 goal. The funds will help cover:
- Extensive medical expenses from prior IVF treatments
- Hospital bills related to the pregnancy and birth
- Mental health therapies for the family
- Efforts to locate Shea's biological family
- Search for Score and Mills's genetic embryos
Clinic's Response and Investigation
In the fundraiser description, Alexa criticized the Fertility Center of Orlando for providing little to no information regarding the search for Shea's biological family or their missing embryos. She emphasized that Tiffany and Steven feel a moral obligation to find and notify Shea's biological parents, as they would want the same if positions were reversed.
The Fertility Center of Orlando acknowledged the situation in a now-deleted website statement, according to USA Today Network and the Orlando Sentinel. The clinic stated they are "actively cooperating with an investigation to support one of our patients in determining the source of an error that resulted in the birth of a child who is not genetically related to them."
The statement continued: "Multiple entities are involved in this process, and all parties are working diligently to help identify when and where the error may have occurred. Our priority remains transparency and the well-being of the patient and child involved. We will continue to assist in any way that we can regardless of the outcome of the investigation."
The couple is seeking unspecified monetary damages from IVF Life Inc, while continuing their emotional journey of raising a daughter they love deeply while searching for answers about her biological origins and their own genetic embryos.
