A couple who gave birth to the wrong baby after an IVF mix-up have identified the biological parents of their young daughter. Tiffany Score and Steven Mills noticed shortly after the birth of their child that their daughter Shea looked nothing like them, prompting a DNA test that confirmed she was not biologically related to either of them.
IVF Error Leads to Emotional Discovery
Tiffany Score gave birth to a girl in December last year after receiving treatment from a now-closed fertility clinic in Orlando, Florida. The couple had provided their own embryo to the clinic, but soon after birth, they began questioning the IVF process. A test confirmed that Shea was not their genetic child.
Legal Action and Search for Biological Parents
The couple sued the clinic and fertility doctor Milton McNichol for negligence in January. Through their lawyers, they requested assistance in tracking down the biological parents. After going public with the mix-up, another couple who had been patients at the same clinic came forward, believing their embryo might have been mistakenly transferred. Both families agreed to DNA testing, and results this week confirmed the other couple as Shea's genetic parents.
Tiffany and Steven have spoken of their "intensely strong emotional bond" with Shea, saying they love her "more than words can express." However, they feel "legally and morally" obliged to give the biological parents a chance to claim the child. If the second family, who remain anonymous, choose not to take the baby, the couple vowed to "continue to raise her ourselves with confidence that she won't be taken away from us."
Statement from the Couple
A statement issued through their lawyers said: "This ends one chapter in our heartbreaking journey, but it raises new issues that will have to be resolved. In addition, questions about the disposition of our own embryos are still unanswered and are even more unlikely to ever be answered."
Clinic Closure and Investigation
The Fertility Center of Orlando announced earlier this month that it would be closing "after thoughtful consideration," with records showing mounting legal and financial problems. The clinic earlier confirmed it was cooperating with an investigation "to support one of our parents in determining the source of an error that resulted in the birth of a child who is not genetically related to them."
