The Biological Parents in a IVF Embryo Mix-Up Case Have Been Found
One of the most heartbreaking fertility stories in recent memory just reached a new chapter — and it's not a simple one.
The biological parents of a child born after an IVF embryo mix-up at a Florida fertility clinic have been identified. Genetic testing recently confirmed who they are. Their identities aren't being made public at their request.
The couple currently raising the child — Tiffany Score and Steven Mills — aren't planning to hand her over.
"Only one thing is as absolutely certain today as it was on the day our daughter was born — we will love and will be this child's parents forever," the couple said in a statement provided by their attorney.
How This Happened
Score and Mills underwent IVF at the Fertility Clinic of Orlando in April 2025. Score gave birth to a baby girl on December 11. Both Score and Mills are white. The child appeared to be a different race. Testing confirmed she had no genetic relationship to either of them.
Someone else's embryo had been implanted in Score. Whose — and how — became the central questions of a lawsuit filed in January against the clinic, its parent company IVF Life Inc., and Dr. Milton McNichol, the physician who ran the practice.
The child has been in Score and Mills' care since the day she was born.
Where Things Stand Now
The identification of the biological parents closes one chapter but opens several more. Score and Mills said through their attorney Jack Scarola that questions about the disposition of their own embryos remain unanswered — and are now even less likely to be resolved given the circumstances.
The couple believes their one remaining embryo is still with the clinic. Court documents indicate arrangements are being made to transfer it to another facility in early May.
A status report filed April 22 says the biological parents and Score and Mills are planning to meet in person to discuss next steps. No transfer of the child is currently planned or contemplated, Scarola confirmed.
The lawsuit notes that Score and Mills would willingly continue caring for the child but also acknowledges she should legally and morally be united with her biological parents — so long as they are fit, willing, and able to take her.
Nobody has an easy answer for what comes next. A child is at the center of this who has no say in any of it.
The Clinic Is Already Gone
Earlier this year the Fertility Clinic of Orlando sent letters to patients announcing its closure. CNY Fertility is opening in the same location. The letter gave no reason for the closure and didn't specify a final day of operations — just asked patients to arrange transfer of any cryopreserved specimens by April 15.
The plaintiffs noted in court records that McNichol appears to be associated with the entity taking over the clinic, which raises its own uncomfortable questions.
What the Lawsuit Is Asking For
Beyond resolving the immediate situation Score and Mills are asking the court to require the clinic to offer free genetic testing to all patients and children born from embryo implantation over the past five years — the full window during which the clinic had their embryos in its possession.
Their concern is that this didn't only happen to them. Other patients may have been implanted with their embryos. Someone may be pregnant right now. Someone may already be raising one of their biological children without knowing it.
The lawsuit doesn't specify a dollar amount in damages. The filing states plainly there is "no adequate remedy at law" for what has been done to them.
That's probably true. There isn't a number that fixes something as heartbreaking as this.
Curious for more stories that keep you informed and entertained? From the latest headlines to everyday insights, YourLifeBuzz has more to explore. Dive into what’s next.