Biological parents of baby in IVF embryo mix-up make 'heartbreaking decision' on baby's future
The biological parents of a baby who was born to another due to an IVF mix-up have made a heartbreaking decision.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Tiffany Score and Steven Mills, from Florida, had reached a 'mutually devised custody agreement,' with their daughter Shea's biological parents.
However, it was announced this would be kept private, with PEOPLE reporting that Tiffany and Steven will 'retain their rights to continue as permanent custodial parents'.
The couple previously told the outlet that although they wanted to raise Shea as theirs, they felt "a moral obligation to find her genetic parents," which they did.
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Now, the biological parents' lawyer has told NBC News that they're 'heartbroken' by what has happened.
“They are heartbroken over what has happened, and they also understand that the birth couple are also suffering,” lawyer Rob Marcereau, told the outlet.
“They had to make the heartbreaking decision to not fight for custody.”
However, Marcereau is said to have told the outlet that the biological parents, who have not been named, will remain a part of Shea's life.
The lawyer told the outlet the parents care deeply about the baby but it would have been 'an incredibly uphill legal battle,' to keep her as their own as they wished.
"They just didn’t feel that that was going to be what was in the best interest of Shea," Marcereau said.
It is believed that the two sets of parents had several 'emotional' meetings to come to the arrangement.
Tiffany and Steven, who welcomed Shea in December had undergone IVF treatment at The Fertility Center of Orlando. However, Tiffany had been mistakenly implanted with an embryo that wasn't theirs.
The couple later sued the clinic, as the lawsuit noted that both parents are white, however, their IVF-conceived baby is 'a racially non-Caucasian child'. Further genetic tests also confirmed this.
The clinic announced its closure on May 20.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that the couple had also taken legal action over concerns about their remaining frozen embryos.
Court documents obtained by PEOPLE said that the clinic only had one viable embryo left. It has now been transferred to another clinic due to the closure, and is being tested for parentage. However, this could take a month and a half to complete.
"Through the undersigned, their new provider contacted Defendant Fertility Center of Orlando to arrange transport and received the embryo attributed to them. That embryo will be tested for parentage and then the Plaintiffs will determine next steps,” the legal filing stated.
Kiesha Dosanjh