What to Know
Last December, Florida couple Tiffany Score and Steven Mills welcomed their baby girl they conceived via IVF, only to discover that they were the victims of an embryo mix-up. It quickly became obvious that their newborn, Shea, who is of 100% south Asian descent, wasn’t genetically related to either of her parents, who are white. And now that they’ve been able to determine who her biological parents actually are, they have finally reached a custody agreement.
Tiffany and Steven were able to track down Shea’s biological parents.
At first, who the embryo belonged to was actually a mystery, but after filing a lawsuit against the Fertility Center of Orlando, the search was on to find Shea’s genetic parents. According to NBC News, they were finally located in April, though they have chosen to remain anonymous.
But once they found them, what would happen next? Would Shea be able to remain with the parents she’d known since birth? Finally, this family has their answers.
They have now settled on a custody agreement.
Tiffany and Steve’s attorney, Mara Hatfield, shared the news that they and the biological parents have “come to a mutually devised custody agreement” that allows them to “remain permanent custodial parents of their daughter.”
It sounds like her biological parents will still be in her life, though. Their lawyer, Rob Marcereau, said in a statement to NBC News that they “intend to remain a part of this child’s life, while recognizing the impossible situation that both families have been placed in, through no fault of their own.”
It sounds like everyone involved is on pretty good terms, considering the circumstances, and Steve and Tiffany said that they “have begun and intend to continue to foster a relationship of friendship and trust” with Shea’s genetic parents.
In a post that Tiffany shared on Instagram on June 17, she wrote, “Her genetic parents are truly wonderful people, and we will maintain a relationship with them going forward.”
Shea’s biological parents are also taking legal action.
On June 19, People reported that the other couple, who have chosen to continue to remain anonymous, are planning to file a civil suit against the Orlando fertility center after having their lives “turned upside down” by this mix-up.
Their attorney, Rob Marcereau, told the outlet that while the parents are relieved to know that their embryo is in a “good home,” it has still been a “really impossible situation” for them to be in.
“This is as difficult as it gets, the wrong embryo, a different race, it’s really difficult,” he said. “Anytime you have a baby, it’s a blessing, but this is something that never should have happened. That embryo should have never been transferred to a different couple.”
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