A couple is suing a Florida fertility clinic after learning that they were implanted with the wrong embryo, and are going public with their attempts to find their child’s biological parents.
Tiffany Score and Steven Mills have filed a lawsuit against IVF Life Inc, which operates as the Fertility Center of Orlando, and its lead physician, Dr Milton McNichol. The suit, which was initially filed under pseudonyms to protect their family’s privacy, states that three viable embryos were created with Score’s eggs and Mills’s sperm, and an embryo was successfully implanted in April 2025.
Shortly after the birth of their daughter Shea on 11 December, Score and Mills, who are both Caucasian, noticed that the baby appeared to be a different race than either of the parents. Genetic testing confirmed that the child “had no genetic relationship to either of the plaintiffs”, according to the suit filed in Palm Beach county circuit court.
The couple is seeking a monetary remedy from IVF Life, though the amount is not specified.
Score made a Facebook post on 29 January where she explained the situation to friends and family, and also requested information on Shea’s biological parents.
“While we are profoundly grateful to have Shea in our lives and love her immeasurably, we also recognize that we have a moral obligation to find her genetic parents,” she wrote. “Our joy over her birth is further complicated by the devastating reality that her genetic parents – whom we do not yet know – or possibly another family entirely, may have received our genetic embryo. We are heartbroken, devastated, and confused.”
Score went on to say that their family has been “living like prisoners in our own home” and that her post was made in part due to “begin living more freely and to finally celebrate the one beautiful thing that has come from all of this: our daughter.”
She went on to say that the couple would not be issuing any further statements until further progress has been made by their legal counsel. Score, did however, ask for “any information on the family who might be at the other side of this”.
Alexa Score, Tiffany’s sister, started a GoFundMe page for the family, writing that “the funds raised will help cover extensive medical expenses, including prior IVF costs, hospital bills, and mental health therapies.” The funds, which currently are at $10,193 of the $12,000 goal, will also be used to support efforts to locate Shea’s biological family and find Score and Mills’s genetic embryos.
In the fundraiser description, Alexa also writes that “the Fertility Center of Orlando, have provided little to no information regarding the search for Shea’s biological family nor their embryos. Tiff and Steve feel a moral obligation to find and notify Shea’s biological parents, as they would want the same if the roles were reversed. To say the lack of action by the clinic is reprehensible hardly does the situation justice.”
A spokesperson for the family’s legal team said: “Our clients’ primary objective is to identify the genetic parents of their darling daughter and to locate their missing embryos. Although we have not had cooperation from the clinic in the past, we are hopeful they will provide the answers we seek … this is not a lawsuit for damages at this point and our clients very much remain focused on finding the genetic parents of a daughter that they love and who is a beautiful healthy girl.”
The Fertility Center of Orlando’s clinic acknowledged the situation in a now-deleted post on their website, according to USA Today Network and the Orlando Sentinel.
“We are 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,” according to the statement. “Multiple entities are involved in this process, and all parties are working diligently to help identify when and where the error may have occurred. Our priority remains transparency and the well-being of the patient and child involved. We will continue to assist in any way that we can regardless of the outcome of the investigation.”
