A Florida couple who discovered their newborn was not biologically theirs due to a fertility clinic error will retain permanent custody of the child. Steven Mills and Tiffany Score reached a custody agreement with the biological parents, identified anonymously as Patient 004, in a court filing last week.
Background of the Case
Mills and Score used the Fertility Center of Orlando for in-vitro fertilization. After a healthy pregnancy, Score gave birth to daughter Shea in December 2025. The couple, both white, suspected something was wrong when the child appeared to be of a different race. Genetic testing confirmed Shea was not biologically related to them.
Legal Action and Discovery
In January, the couple sued the clinic to identify Shea's biological parents and requested genetic testing of other patients' children to determine if another embryo mix-up occurred. They had three embryos stored at the clinic: one resulted in a miscarriage, another was moved to a new facility, and the third remains unaccounted for.
Attorney Jack Scarola wrote to the clinic on January 5, stating that without the racial disparity alerting the couple to the error, it might have gone undiscovered for years.
Emotional Bond and Custody Agreement
Mills and Score formed a strong emotional bond with Shea and wanted to keep her, but also recognized the importance of uniting her with her genetic parents. The custody agreement details remain private.
Clinic Closure and Other Issues
The Fertility Center of Orlando shut down on May 20, following the controversy. The company also faced unrelated legal issues, including a medical malpractice and negligence case related to a 2024 surrogate pregnancy where the infant died shortly after birth.
In an April statement, Mills and Score expressed uncertainty about their own embryos but affirmed their love and commitment to Shea: "Only one thing is as absolutely certain as it was on the day our daughter was born – we will love and be this child’s parents forever."
