Georgia woman says she'll 'never fully recover' after IVF mix-up leads to her losing custody of baby
A woman's deeply personal journey through in vitro fertilization turned into an emotional ordeal, as she now claims she was left feeling "violated" after giving birth to a child who wasn't biologically hers, according to a lawsuit.
The suit, filed Tuesday in Georgia state court, alleges that 38-year-old Krystena Murray "unknowingly and unwillingly carried a child through pregnancy who was not biologically related to her," something she learned only once she delivered the baby boy.
"The birth of my child was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life, and honestly, it was," Murray said in a Monday news conference. "But it was also the scariest moment of my life."
"All of the love and joy I felt seeing him for the first time was immediately replaced by fear. How could this have happened?" she said.
Her journey with IVF was facilitated by Coastal Fertility Specialists, which operates clinics in South Carolina and Georgia. The 38-year-old went through daily injections, endured egg retrieval, had an embryo implanted and finally got pregnant, but her joy was cut short after birth.
The lawsuit said Murray carefully chose a sperm donor who closely resembled her, selecting one with white skin, dirty blonde hair, and blue eyes.
Coastal Fertility transferred an embryo to Murray in 2023, but when she gave birth in December, Murray immediately "knew something was very wrong," the lawsuit says, because the boy that she delivered was a "dark-skinned, African American baby."
Her suspicions were verified following a DNA test that showed her baby was not biologically related to her. Murray said that despite knowing of the mix-up, she loved the baby boy.
"Ms. Murray had no issues or concerns with the Baby's race, other than the fact that it indicated to her that he was clearly not related to her," the lawsuit said.
The mix-up kept her from posting pictures of the baby on social media or allowing him to be seen by family and friends, the lawsuit said. People who saw her child in public questioned whether he was hers and made "awkward and inappropriate comments," the lawsuit continued.
Two months later, Coastal Fertility suspected that it had transferred a different couple's embryo to Murray. They broke the news to the couple, who in turn sued Murray to obtain custody of the child.
Murray voluntarily gave up custody of the boy in May 2024 after her family-law counsel concluded that she was going to lose the custody battle, the complaint said.
"This has destroyed me," Murray said during the conference. "I'm heartsick; I'm emotionally broken. Nothing can express the shock and violation upon learning that your doctor put a stranger's embryo into your body. 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."
"I'll never fully recover from this," she said.
The lawsuit notes that she still does not know if Coastal Fertility transferred her embryo to someone else, and therefore she does not know if "her biologically related child is being raised by anyone else."
The clinic's mistake led Murray to be "turned into an unwitting surrogate, against her will, for another couple," the lawsuit added.
"She carried, lovingly cared for, and delivered a child who ended up not being biologically related to her," the lawsuit said. "And then, for nearly half a year she bonded with the child – her child – in addition to her bonding with the baby while he was still in the womb."
READ THE LAWSUIT: MOBILE USERS CLICK HERE
In a statement, Coast Fertility Specialists said they "deeply regret" the "unprecedented" mix-up. They noted it was an "isolated incident."
"While this ultimately led to the birth of a healthy child, we recognize the profound impact this situation has had on the affected families, and we extend our sincerest apologies," they said.
"We are doing everything we can to make things right for those affected by this incident. We will continue to uphold the integrity of our practice and our commitment to supporting families in their journey to parenthood."
The suit filed by her lawyer, Adam Wolf of Peiffer Wolf, alleges negligence on the clinic's part. Fox News Digital has reached out to Peiffer Wolf for comment.
Murray is seeking a jury trial, $75,000 in judgment and other damages, according to the lawsuit.
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