Florida Couple IDs Biological Parents of IVF Mix-Up Baby

Tiffany Score and Steven Mills, a couple from Melbourne, Florida, announced this week that they have identified the biological parents of their four-month-old daughter, Shea, whom Score carried to term after an embryo mix-up at a now-closing fertility clinic in the Orlando area.

The couple underwent in vitro fertilization treatments at the Fertility Center of Orlando in Longwood in 2020, creating and storing three viable embryos from Score's eggs and Mills' sperm. In April 2023, clinic staff implanted one embryo into Score, leading to her pregnancy and Shea's birth on December 11, 2023. Shortly after delivery, Score and Mills noticed that Shea, who has South Asian heritage, did not share their Caucasian physical traits. Genetic testing soon confirmed no biological connection between the couple and the infant.

Score and Mills filed a negligence lawsuit in January 2024 in Orange County Circuit Court against the clinic, operated by IVF Life Inc., and its lead reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Milton McNichol. The suit alleged mishandling during embryo creation, storage, or implantation, and sought assistance in locating Shea's genetic parents while demanding information on the fate...