This Woman Had To Give Up Her Child Due To An IVF Mix-up

Krysteria Murray always dreamt of being a mother and at 38, she finally did, when she turned to In Vitro Fertilization or IVF to help her conceive. She selected the sperm donor who resembled her, as the Washington Post reported, he was White, with dirty-blond hair and blue eyes.

However, when she gave birth in December 2023, she knew something was wrong, it was not a White child. Her baby was Black. Despite this shock, she continued to love her baby embrace motherhood and care for the baby who was meant to be her son.

However, in March 2024, she learned that an IVF mix-up happened, the biological parents of the baby sued for custody and in May, she was forced to give her child up. Now, as the Post reported, she is suing Coastal Fertility Specialists, the clinic which is responsible for the mistake, the negligence and the emotional distress she had to go through.

What Is IVF And How Does It Work?

In Vitro Fertilization or IVF is a medical procedure that is used to help people conceive when natural pregnancy is not possible or is difficult. The process involves three crucial steps:

Egg Retrieval: A woman's eggs are collected after hormone treatments stimulate their production

Fertilization in a Lab: The eggs are combined with sperm from a partner or a donor to create embryos

Embryo Transfer: Then, a doctor implants one or more embryos into the woman's uterus, hoping for a successful pregnancy

Not always this method is successful, the success rate depends on various factors, which includes age, and overall health. The chances of a successful pregnancy per IVF cycle is:

• 50% or higher in women under 35
• 25 to 30% for women aged 35 to 40
• Less than 10% for women over 40

How Did The Mix-up Happen?

Murray received an embryo transfer in May 2023 after months of intensive reproductive operations. She thought an embryo made from her egg and the sperm of the selected donor had been implanted by the clinic. Rather, she unintentionally became pregnant with and gave birth to a child that belonged to a different couple.

According to her lawsuit, Jeffrey Grey, the lab director at Coastal Fertility, unintentionally put another person's embryo into her womb. It wasn't until January 2024 that a DNA test revealed the error. The clinic filed a custody dispute as soon as they determined who the baby's biological parents were.

Murray lost her court struggle and was forced to give up the child on May 24, 2024.

“I carried a baby, fell in love with him, and built a special bond—only to have him taken away,” she said.

Did It Happen Before?

This is not the first time such a thing has happened, in past too there have been several cases where IVF-mix ups have happened:

California Case, 2019: A couple sued a Los Angeles fertility clinic after they gave birth to two babies who were not biologically related to them. The embryos were switch with another couple's, and both families had to return the babies to their rightful parents.

New York Case, 1998: A White couple gave birth to twins one White and one Black. DNA testing also confirmed that one of the embryos implanted in the mother actually belonged to another couple.

Italian Case, 2014: A hospital in Rome accidentally swapped embryos that led to two women carrying each other's babies. While the error was discovered months later, the women chose to keep the babies they had given birth to.

Murray's Case

Coming back to Murray's case, she is seeking accountability and hopes to prevent future IVF mix-ups. The fertility clinic also acknowledged the errors, however, for Murray, the experience of losing a child is still traumatic. She is trying again to be a mother, this time, at a different IVF clinic.

“I never want to go through this again,” she said. “But being a mom is something I’ve always wanted.”