A Florida couple who spent six months raising a baby girl after a major IVF mix-up have reached an agreement with the child’s biological parents, bringing a remarkable custody dispute to an end.
How the Mix-Up Happened
Tiffany Score and Steven Mills became parents to baby Shea after an embryo was implanted during IVF treatment in 2025. It wasn’t until after Shea was born that they realised something had gone quite badly wrong. The couple are white and had – understandably – expected a child who was biologically theirs. When Shea arrived in December 2025, they immediately realised something wasn’t right. Further testing confirmed that Shea was not biologically related to either parent. DNA results later showed that Shea’s genetic parents were a South Asian couple whose embryo had been mistakenly implanted during IVF treatment.
An Agonising Situation
What followed was an agonising situation for both families. One couple had raised Shea from birth while the other had unknowingly lost the chance to carry and bring up their biological daughter. Last week, the two families reached a custody agreement that will see Score and Mills remain Shea’s long-term parents. The outcome may strike some readers as surprising. Shea is genetically related to one couple but has spent her short life so far with another. That question sat at the heart of the case. Should custody be decided by biology alone, or by the bond formed between a child and the parents who have cared for them since birth?
Biological Parents' Decision
Ultimately, Shea’s biological parents chose not to pursue a custody fight, saying they didn’t believe it would be in the child’s best interests. Their lawyer, Rob Marcereau, told NBC News that his clients were ‘heartbroken’ by what had happened. He said they would have preferred to keep Shea but believed a custody battle would have been an uphill legal fight and unfair on Shea. Marcereau also said the biological parents understood that Score and Mills were suffering too. Both couples found themselves caught up in a mistake that neither had any role in creating.
Emotional Resolution
According to Marcereau, discussions between the two families involved ‘a lot of tears and hugs’ as they worked towards an agreement. The meetings eventually produced a solution that both sides felt they could live with. Meanwhile, Score and Mills have said they intend to remain Shea’s ‘permanent’ parents. Their lawyer, Jack Scarola, said both families hope to become friends and help each other out on their different journeys. ‘They have begun and intend to continue to foster a relationship of friendship and trust,’ Scarola said.
Legal Action Against Clinic
The case first became public in January when Score and Mills sued the Fertility Center of Orlando and its medical director, Dr Milton McNichol. The lawsuit alleges that the wrong embryo was implanted during treatment in April 2025. The biological parents also plan to sue the clinic and doctor, saying the error forced them into an impossible decision. Legal action surrounding the mix-up may continue even though the custody dispute itself has now been settled. The Fertility Center of Orlando previously announced that it would close after what it described as ‘thoughtful consideration’. The clinic said it intended to cease operations by May 20.
What Happens Next
Court documents filed last week also revealed that Score and Mills have transferred their remaining embryo to a different fertility clinic. According to the filing, that embryo will be tested to confirm its parentage before the couple decide what to do next. For the two very understanding and laudable families at the centre of the heartbreaking mix-up, however, the focus now appears to be on little Shea’s future and what’s best for her.
