Florida Couple Files Lawsuit After IVF Clinic Allegedly Implants Wrong Embryo
A Florida couple has launched legal action against a fertility clinic in a heart-wrenching case that has exposed alleged catastrophic failures in assisted reproduction procedures. Tiffany Score and Steven Mills, residents of Florida, are taking IVF Life LLC, operating as the Fertility Center of Orlando in Longwood, to court after welcoming a baby girl who genetic testing confirms is not biologically related to either of them.
The Journey to Parenthood Turns into a Nightmare
The pair had turned to IVF Life approximately five years ago to help them conceive a child through in vitro fertilisation. This complex medical process involves fertilising a woman's eggs with a man's sperm outside the body, creating embryos that are then frozen for future implantation. In April of last year, Score and Mills proceeded with having one of their frozen embryos implanted, full of hope for starting a family.
Nine months later, they joyfully welcomed a baby girl into their lives. However, their initial happiness soon turned to confusion and then alarm when they noticed the infant had what court documents describe as "the appearance of a racially non-Caucasian child." Both parents are white, leading them to suspect a devastating error had occurred at the clinic.
Genetic Testing Confirms Worst Fears
Determined to uncover the truth, the couple pursued genetic testing, which delivered the crushing confirmation: the baby was not their biological child. "They have fallen in love with this child," one of their attorneys, Jack Scarola, told the Orlando Sentinel. "They would be thrilled in the knowledge that they could raise this child. But their concern is that this is someone else’s child, and someone could show up at any time and claim the baby and take that baby away from them."
The couple filed their lawsuit on January 22nd after allegedly attempting multiple times to contact the clinic without receiving any meaningful response. Their legal action names both IVF Life LLC and Dr Milton McNichol, who operates the facility.
Multiple Concerns and Demands for Accountability
Beyond their immediate situation, Score and Mills harbour additional fears that one of their three remaining frozen embryos might have been mistakenly implanted into another patient. Their lawsuit makes several significant demands:
- The clinic must disclose what happened to all other patients who had embryos stored at the facility during the year before Score gave birth
- IVF Life should pay for genetic testing of every child born through its services over the past five years
- The clinic must provide a full accounting of the couple's remaining embryos
A Complex Emotional and Moral Dilemma
In a statement to News6, the bewildered parents expressed their profound emotional conflict. "We love our little girl," they said. "We would hope to be able to continue to raise her ourselves with confidence that she won’t be taken away from us. At the same time, we are aware that we have a moral obligation to find and notify her biological parents, as it is in her best interest that her genetic parents are provided the option to raise her as their own."
A family spokesperson revealed that an independent investigation is underway, stating: "Based upon leads discovered to date, and despite the lack of help or cooperation from the clinic, there is hope that we will be able to introduce our daughter to her genetic parents and to find our own genetic child soon."
Clinic's Troubled History and Regulatory Issues
The Fertility Center of Orlando had initially posted a notice on its website acknowledging it was "actively cooperating with an investigation to support one of our patients in determining the source of an error that resulted in the birth of a child who is not genetically related to them." However, this notice was removed following a court hearing on Wednesday.
Further investigation reveals concerning regulatory history. Dr McNichol was formally reprimanded by Florida's Board of Medicine in May 2024 following a June 2023 inspection that uncovered multiple violations at the clinic. These included equipment that "did not meet current performance standards," failure to comply with risk-management protocols, and missing medication. As a result of these infractions, McNichol received a $5,000 fine.
The case highlights serious questions about oversight and accountability in fertility treatment facilities, raising concerns that extend far beyond this single heartbreaking situation. As the legal proceedings continue, the couple remains in emotional limbo, loving a child they fear could be taken from them while desperately hoping to find their own biological offspring.
