A couple from Florida (USA) who used IVF are continuing their clinic after the implantation of an embryo intended for another family.

After carrying her baby for nine months, an American woman discovered at the time of delivery that her child was not hers. There was no doubt: the newborn was black, while both parents, Tiffany Score and Steven Mills, are white.

She and her husband underwent in-vitro fertilization at a clinic in Florida. The couple has decided to sue the Orlando fertility center, which mistakenly implanted an embryo intended for another family, according to various media outlets, including People and The Guardian. The young parents say they love their daughter more than anything, but believe they have a moral obligation to search for the child's biological parents.

The couple hopes for financial compensation.

The complaint was initially filed under a pseudonym to protect the family's privacy, but the couple decided to lift their anonymity, hoping that their efforts, once made public, would help them find the baby's real parents.

The complaint states that three viable embryos were created from Tiffany Score's eggs and Steven Mills' sperm, and that one embryo was successfully implanted in April 2025. After the birth of their daughter Shea on December 11, the two Americans, skeptical, underwent genetic testing, which confirmed that their baby was not their biological child.

The couple hopes to be financially compensated, but has not specified the amount claimed.

"Her parents were able to receive our embryo."

"While we are deeply grateful to have Shea in our lives and love her infinitely, we also recognize our moral obligation to find her genetic parents," Tiffany Score wrote on Facebook on January 29.

"The joy we feel at her birth is all the more painful because we know that her genetic parents – whom we do not yet know – or perhaps another family, may have received our embryo. We are devastated, heartbroken and lost," she continued.

The young mother added that she hoped to be able to "start living more freely and finally celebrate the most beautiful thing that came out of all this: our daughter."

"Our priority remains transparency."

An online fundraiser has been set up by Shea's aunt, Alexa Score, to cover medical expenses such as the costs of previous IVF treatments, hospital bills, and psychological therapy. The money raised will also be used to fund the search for the biological parents of the child and the embryos of Tiffany Score and Steven Mills.

According to USA Today Network, the Fertility Center of Orlando acknowledged the situation in a now-deleted post on its website. "We are actively cooperating with the investigation to help one of our patients determine the source of the error that led to the birth of a child who is not her genetic parent," the statement read. "Multiple entities are involved in this process, and all parties are actively working to determine when and where the error may have occurred."

Our priority remains transparency and the well-being of the patient and child involved. We will continue to provide assistance in every way possible, regardless of the outcome of the investigation.