Florida Couple Says IVF Embryo Mix-Up Led to a Devastating Discovery as Their Daughter’s Biological Parents Are Identified

Apr 23, 2026 by apost team

A Florida couple’s IVF journey turned into a legal and emotional crisis after they said the wrong embryo was implanted during treatment, leading to the birth of a baby girl who is not genetically related to either of them. According to reporting by PEOPLE, Tiffany Score and Steven Mills later learned through genetic testing that their daughter, Shea, had no biological connection to them, despite the fact that they had created and stored three embryos through the Fertility Center of Orlando.

Court-based reporting stated that Shea was born on Dec. 11, 2025, following Score's embryo transfer in March 2025. The couple alleged in their lawsuit that they had no reason to suspect a mistake during the pregnancy, and that the truth only became clear after the baby’s birth and later DNA testing. The case quickly raised painful questions about how the error happened, where the couple’s own embryos might be, and whether another family might be raising their biological child.

The story took another major turn when the couple said genetic testing had identified their daughter’s biological parents. They chose not to reveal those identities publicly and said they intended to respect the other family’s privacy. Even so, the identification did not end the wider dispute. The couple’s attorney said the legal case would remain active because the fate of their embryos was still unknown and because the couple continued to seek accountability for the emotional and financial damage they say they suffered.

 The case has resonated far beyond Florida because it combines two deeply personal questions in one heartbreaking situation: who a child’s genetic parents are, and what responsibility a fertility clinic bears when reproductive material is mishandled. In public statements, Score and Mills made clear that their bond with Shea has never been in doubt. As they put it:

“Only one thing is as absolutely certain today as it was on the day our daughter was born —we will love and will be this child's parents forever.”

That statement helps explain why the case has drawn such intense attention. It is not only a malpractice dispute; it is also a story about parenthood, identity and trust in assisted reproduction. The couple said they felt a moral obligation to locate Shea’s genetic parents while also trying to learn what happened to the embryos they believed had been created from their own genetic material. Reporting by ClickOrlando and CBS12 shows that the lawsuit centers on both the mistaken transfer and the unanswered question of the missing embryos.

The clinic at the center of the dispute later posted a closure notice saying it would cease operations on May 20, 2026, while advising patients about record and specimen transfers. That notice did not explain the reason for the closure. For Score and Mills, however, the biggest unresolved issue remains unchanged: identifying Shea’s genetic parents answered one part of the mystery, but it did not explain what became of the embryos they trusted the clinic to protect. 

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A family’s love can remain unwavering even when the facts are devastating. What do you think should happen when a fertility clinic makes a life-altering mistake like this? Pass this story on to friends and family.