A US woman has sued a fertility clinic for allegedly implanting the wrong embryo in her during an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.
The woman identified as Krystena Murray became pregnant in May 2023 after undergoing IVF at Coastal Fertility clinic.
However, after delivering a baby boy in December 2023, Murray discovered the clinic had “recklessly” transferred the embryo of another couple to her.
According to the lawsuit, she said she “knew something was very wrong” because she delivered a “dark-skinned, African American baby” while she and her sperm donor were American.
After delivery, she confirmed she was not related to the baby biologically in January 2024 after undergoing a DNA test.
The following month, she informed the clinic about the mix-up. It alerted the biological parents, who sued for custody when the baby was three months old.
However, Murray voluntarily gave up custody after being told by her legal team she stood no chance of winning in family court.
She revealed the mix-up had left her “emotionally broken” which she will “never recover from”.
“To carry a baby, fall in love with him, deliver him, and build the uniquely special bond between mother and baby, all to have him taken away. I’ll never fully recover from this,” she said.
Coastal Fertility acknowledged and apologised for the mistake, saying “This was an isolated event with no further patients affected”.
“The same day this error was discovered we immediately conducted an in-depth review and put additional safeguards in place to further protect patients and to ensure that such an incident does not happen again,” it added.
The suit seeks a jury trial and monetary damages of $75,000 including past and future medical expenses and attorney fees.
