US Woman Sues IVF Clinic After She Delivered Someone Else's Baby

A Georgia woman, Krystena Murray (38), is suing a fertility clinic after a mix-up resulted in her giving birth to a child not biologically related to her.  Murray became pregnant through IVF two years ago and gave birth to a healthy baby boy in December 2023.  However, she immediately realized the baby, who was Black, was not hers, as she was White and had chosen a White sperm donor with similar features. Despite the clinic's error, Murray bonded with and cared for the child for several months.  According to the Washington Post, she was ultimately forced to give the baby to his biological parents, leaving her "emotionally broken."

Murray has filed a civil lawsuit against Coastal Fertility Specialists, accusing the clinic of negligence that has caused her lasting emotional and physical distress. "She has not seen her child ever since," her lawyers stated in the 41-page complaint filed on Tuesday.

"The actions of the fertility clinic nearly destroyed me, left irreparable damage to my soul, and made me question whether I should be a mother at all," Murray said at a news conference, her voice breaking with emotion.

In response, Isabel Bryan, executive director of Coastal Fertility, issued a statement acknowledging the mistake. "We deeply regret the distress caused by an unprecedented error that led to an embryo transfer mix-up," she said. "While this resulted in the birth of a healthy child, we recognize the profound impact on the affected families and extend our sincerest apologies."

Murray, who is single, chose Coastal Fertility because of its satellite facility in Savannah, Georgia, where she lived. She enlisted the clinic's services in late 2022 or early 2023 to harvest her eggs and fertilize them with sperm from a donor she had carefully selected.

For weeks, she endured up to five daily hormone injections to stimulate egg production, experiencing painful side effects such as bloating and severe mood swings. She regularly visited Coastal Fertility's Savannah clinic for checkups and blood tests.

In February or March 2023, doctors retrieved several of her eggs, which were then fertilized with the donor's sperm to create embryos. Murray believed that one of these embryos was implanted in May 2023, leading to her pregnancy.

Throughout her pregnancy, she faced the usual challenges-swelling, exhaustion, heartburn, and two false labors that resulted in hospital visits. But she reassured herself that the sacrifices were worth it as she prepared for her baby's arrival.

On December 29, 2023, she gave birth to "a beautiful, healthy baby," experiencing a fleeting moment of joy-before immediate fear set in.

"Upon seeing her baby, however, Ms. Murray knew something was very wrong," the lawsuit states.

Although both she and the sperm donor were white, the baby was Black. The realization was "terrifying and shocking," according to the suit.

Despite this, Murray attempted to bond with the baby, breastfeeding him, taking him to doctor's appointments, and caring for him. But she was haunted by unanswered questions: If this wasn't her biological child, whose was it? Would someone come to take him away?

She kept the baby's existence largely private, avoiding social media and declining visits from family and friends. At a family funeral, she even draped a blanket over the baby's carrier to avoid questions she couldn't answer. In public, strangers made awkward and inappropriate comments, frequently asking if the child was really hers.

"He became her best friend, her daily companion, and her source of strength," the lawsuit states. Yet the uncertainty loomed over her.

In January 2024, an at-home DNA test confirmed what she already suspected. Determined to prevent such mistakes from happening to others, she informed Coastal Fertility. Her lawyer reached out on February 5, and by late March, the clinic had identified the couple whose embryo had mistakenly been implanted in her.

On March 29, the clinic delivered "the devastating news" to an unsuspecting couple: their biological son had been born to another woman three months earlier.

The couple sued for custody, forcing Murray into legal battles across multiple states. A second DNA test confirmed the initial results, and her attorneys advised that she was likely to lose the case. Not wanting to prolong the ordeal for the child, Murray relinquished custody on May 24 in family court.

Since then, she has struggled with the trauma, experiencing sleeplessness, nausea, and other physical symptoms.

She hopes her lawsuit will prevent future IVF mistakes.

In response, Coastal Fertility stated that it conducted an internal review upon learning of the error and has since strengthened its safety protocols. "We have reinforced our already stringent procedures to uphold our commitment to patient safety, transparency, and trust," Bryan said.

For Murray, however, the damage is irreversible.

"To carry a baby, fall in love with him, deliver him, and build that unique mother-child bond-only to have him taken away," she said. "I'll never fully recover from this."

Still, she remains determined to become a mother. When asked if she would try IVF again, she let out a small laugh and a sigh. "No," she admitted.

Yet, despite the pain, she is undergoing the process again with another clinic.

"I've wanted to be a mom since I was a little girl," she said. "And I'm still hoping to continue my journey."