Krystena Murray underwent two years of IVF treatment to have a child and gave birth to one that wasn’t biologically hers after a mix-up by the fertility clinic. She then had to give the baby back to the biological parents who sued for custody.
Murray gave birth in 2023
The 38-year-old woman gave birth to a healthy baby in December 2023, but her world came crashing down when she realized the baby boy was not biologically hers.
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Murray, who is a White woman, had chosen a White sperm donor with similar features to her to cultivate her eggs, but the baby she gave birth to was Black.
She gave birth to another couple’s baby
Murray found out that she had given birth to another couple’s baby due to a mix-up at the fertility clinic she was treated at as the other couple’s embryo was mistakenly placed inside her.
A DNA test later confirmed these claims by her lawsuit, according to NBC.
Murray decided to raise the child anyway
Although the mix-up had occurred, Murray decided she would still raise the child to be her own, since the two had bonded during pregnancy.
But she faced heartbreak when the boy’s biological parents sued for custody in May 2024 after the clinic informed them of the mix-up.
She handed the child back
Murray handed the child back to his biological parents, but not without suing the Georgia clinic Coastal Fertility Specialists for the wrongful implantation of the embryo.
She is seeking monetary damages for the cause of emotional distress and mental anguish that resulted from the clinic’s mix-up.
Murray shared how this made her feel
The 38-year-old’s lawsuit said that the clinic’s mistake had turned her into “an unwitting surrogate, against her will, for another couple.”
“I have never felt so violated and the situation has left me emotionally and physically broken,” Murray said, as reported by Associated Press.
She had always wanted to be a mother
“I spent my entire life wanting to be a mom. I loved, nurtured and grew my child and I would have done literally anything to keep him,” she added.
Although the experience was heartbreaking, Murray also said she’s undergoing IVF treatment at a different clinic, as she still wishes to be a mother.
The fertility clinic issued a statement
The fertility clinic responsible for the mix-up, Coastal Fertility Specialists, issued a statement shared by AP, calling the incident “an unprecedented error that resulted in an embryo transfer mix-up.”
They said, “This was an isolated event with no further patients affected,” before adding, “We are doing everything we can to make things right for those affected by this incident.”
Murray’s attorney spoke responsibility
Adam Wolf, Murray’s attorney, said, “Fertility clinics engage in vitally important work. With that amazing work comes a real responsibility. And when fertility clinics make mistakes like this, the consequences are life-altering.”
