Woman sues IVF clinic after 'scariest moment of her life' saw her give birth to wrong baby

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A woman is taking legal action against a fertility clinic following what she describes as "the scariest moment of her life" when she was implanted with the wrong embryo, according to court documents. Krystena Murray is suing Coastal Fertility Specialists in Savannah, Georgia, after giving birth to a black baby via IVF in December 2023.

The lawsuit claims that she "unknowingly and unwillingly carried a child through pregnancy who was not biologically related to her."

The 38 year old had selected a white sperm donor but was taken aback when her baby was born with "dark-skin" and identified as an "African American baby."

She later had to relinquish custody of the baby to the biological parents just five months later, which "added to her trauma", the lawsuit states.

"The birth of my child was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life, and honestly, it was. But it was also the scariest moment of my life," Murray expressed at a press conference. "All of the love and joy I felt seeing him for the first time was immediately replaced by fear. How could this have happened?", reports the Mirror.

Despite the shocking revelation, Murray loved the child as if he were her own, even after conducting a DNA test, the lawsuit reveals. "I hoped that it was just a sperm mix-up, not an embryo mix-up," she shared with NBC News.

However, the results confirmed that the baby was not biologically hers. In February 2024, Murray's lawyer reached out to the clinic who then identified and contacted the baby's biological parents, who subsequently sued for custody.

The handover of the baby to his parents in court left Murray heartbroken.

"I walked in a mum with a child and a baby who loved me and was mine and was attached to me, and I walked out of the building with an empty stroller, and they left with my son," Murray shared with NBC News. "I grew him, I raised him, I loved him. I saw him no different than if he were mine, my own genetic embryo."

"To carry a baby, fall in love with him, deliver him, and build the uniquely special bond between mother and baby, all to have him taken away,' she expressed. 'I'll never fully recover from this."

In response to the incident, a statement on behalf of the clinic and Coastal Fertility Specialists expressed deep regret: "deeply regrets the distress caused by an unprecedented error that resulted in an embryo transfer mix-up.

"This was an isolated event with no further patients affected. The same day this error was discovered we immediately conducted an in-depth review and put additional safeguards in place to further protect patients and to ensure that such an incident does not happen again," the statement read. Murray is accusing the clinic of negligence and is seeking damages.

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