Have you ever picked up a fast-food order from a drive-through, forgotten to check the bag, and then discovered at home that they completely screwed up your order? You’re too lazy and hungry to drive back to complain, so you eat it anyway? According to NBC News, something like that, but with much bigger stakes, happened to a couple in Florida, but instead of getting the wrong burger, they were given the wrong embryo.
Tiffany Score and Steven Mills spent years trying to have a child through IVF at the Fertility Center of Orlando. In December, Score gave birth to a daughter, Shea. But as soon as Shea came out, the couple knew something had gone awry. Tiffany and Stephen were white folks, and Shea was most certainly not. Genetic testing later confirmed what was plain to see: Shea was not biologically related to either Tiffany or Stephen, and was genetically South Asian.
Turns out, the fertility clinic had apparently implanted a different couple’s embryo into Tiffany, an embryo that she then carried, delivered, and has now bonded with, even though it is genetically someone else’s baby entirely.
Florida Couple Reaches Custody Agreement After IVF Embryo Mix-Up
Cue the legal battle and the search for Shea’s biological parents, who were found, miraculously enough. Even more miraculously, somehow, despite the absurd circumstances, both families have reached an amicable, compassionate resolution to the problem, essentially deciding that it’s not a problem for either of them.
Court filings show that both sides agree that Tiffany and Stephen will remain Shea’s permanent parents, while the biological parents say they intend to remain involved in Shea’s life. It’s a real-life story just begging to be adapted into a CBS sitcom.
For Tiffany and Steven, the question of whether Shea was a daughter worthy of their love, care, and compassion was never up for debate. Shea is their daughter, regardless of the farcical circumstances that led to her birth. But that doesn’t mean they’re totally with the whole situation. They are at peace with the mix-up that led to the birth of their daughter, but they are absolutely going ahead with their lawsuit against the fertility clinic.
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