More than 8 million babies have been born via IVF worldwide since the medical breakthrough was first introduced in 1978, and that number continues to grow. But last year, one couple in Connecticut got a shock they weren't expecting after their baby — who was conceived via IVF at a Trumbull, Connecticut, fertility clinic — turned out not to be theirs. According to the Connecticut Post, the fertility clinic mixed up the embryos prior to implantation, which meant the baby they gave birth to was not biologically related to them and appears to be of a different race.
The story actually begins back in 2015, when the couple (who wish to remain anonymous) were unable to conceive on their own.
They sought the help of Dr. Melvin Thornton II at CT Fertility (both named in the lawsuit), which has since closed, according to its website.
As anyone who's gone through IVF knows, it's a grueling and costly process; but the couple was elated when they soon became pregnant and over the moon when their first child arrived in April 2016.
So happy were they, in fact, that they decided to start trying to conceive a second child later that year — using the father's sperm and an egg from the same donor they had used the first time. But that's when things allegedly went awry.
The couple insists that they were clear they wanted to use an egg from the same donor so their children would be full siblings.
But soon after the birth in August 2018, it was clear pretty soon that something was amiss.
According to Connecticut Post, the lawsuit states that:
“Their second child appeared to have a much darker skin pigmentation [than] either the father, the genetic mother, or their first child which was extremely unexpected and perplexing as the children were supposed to have the same genetic makeup."
The couple decided to conduct a DNA test, to settle their suspicions once and for all.
Less than two months after the birth of their second child, they were hit with some shocking news: The children weren't siblings at all — meaning they weren't biologically related to the father or the chosen egg donor.
The embryo that had been used was some else's entirely.
According to court papers, the parents, who now live in London, insist that their second child is "loved and healthy in every aspect."
That said, there are a million different fears, worries, and plaguing concerns they live with in the wake of learning the truth.
For one, there's the question over who the child's biological parents really are and whether they will one day wish to seek custody. Then there's the question over where their own embryos are — the ones that were meant to be implanted in 2017. Were they implanted in another woman or were they lost completely?
Either way, court papers state that the couple has “suffered financial loss and severe emotional distress” as a result of the mix-up, which has impacted their lives in a myriad of ways.
They're now seeking $200,000 in reimbursements for all "fees, costs, and expenses reasonably incurred in the participation of IVF treatments."
Honestly, compared to most lawsuits we see making headlines these days, $200,000 isn't even that steep — especially when you consider just how huge the mistake truly was. But according to court records, it looks as if the couple will be waiting a while to get justice. The case isn't set to go to trial until September 2021, when their second child is 3 years old.
