Latest news with #CoastalFertility
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
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. Vermont Accused In Lawsuit Of Tracking Pregnant Women Considered Unsuitable To Be Mothers 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. Read On The Fox News App 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." Pregnant Woman And Baby Saved After Doctors Find Grapefruit-sized Tumor: 'Extremely Rare' 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. President Trump Signs Executive Order On Ivf 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 article source: Georgia woman says she'll 'never fully recover' after IVF mix-up leads to her losing custody of baby
Fox News
21-02-2025
- Health
- Fox News
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.
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Health
- USA Today
'I'll never fully recover': Heartbroken mom who used IVF wanted to keep baby despite embryo mix-up
A Georgia woman, who gave birth to and raised a baby boy for months, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a fertility clinic claiming it implanted the wrong embryo in her, resulting in her giving birth to another couple's biological child. She later lost custody of the child. Krystena Murray, 38, of Savannah, filed the civil suit against Coastal Fertility Specialists, saying the mistake left her 'emotionally broken' from the experience. The business operates a clinic in Savannah and in four cities in South Carolina. The suit, filed in state court, also names Dr. Jeffrey Gray and a handful of John and Jane Does as defendants. According to the lawsuit obtained by USA TODAY, the clinic allegedly implanted the wrong embryo into Murray's uterus, and she carried the child and gave birth in December 2023 to the other parents' baby. "Despite the clinic's misconduct, Krystena wanted to keep her baby, and she was heartbroken when she lost custody five months after giving birth," her attorneys with Peiffer Wolf released in a statement adding she has not seen the child since. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. USA TODAY has reached out to Coastal Fertility Specialists as well as its attorney, William R. Claiborne. 'I'll never fully recover from this' "I'm emotionally broken. Nothing can express the shock and violation upon learning that your doctor put a stranger's embryo into your body," Murray released in a statement through her attorneys. "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.' Adam Wolf, one of Murray's attorneys, called the clinic's alleged mistake a "very serious error" and the consequences "life-altering." 'This should never happen in a fertility clinic," Wolf said. Trump said he was the 'father of IVF.'After his executive order, these voters are rejoicing. She 'knew something was wrong' According to the 41-page complaint, which cites violations of the state's fair business practices act as well as gross negligence in the case, Murray hired the clinic to help her get pregnant with one of her eggs and donor sperm. Murray selected a sperm donor who resembled her, "and was white, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes," her attorneys said, and the clinic transferred an embryo to Murray in May 2023. On Dec. 29, 2023, according to her attorneys, "Murray delivered a beautiful, healthy baby boy, however, upon seeing the child, Krystena knew something was wrong." Murray requested a DNA test, received her results in late January 2024, according to her attorneys, and learned the baby belonged to a couple who also used Coastal Fertility to get pregnant. Separate DNA test reveals another couple were child's genetic parents A separate DNA test confirmed the couple were the child's genetic parents, according to Murray's lawyers. Sometime before late March 2024, the clinic suspected it transferred the stranger couple's embryo into Murray and alerted the child's biological parents, who in turn sued Murray to obtain custody of the child. According to her attorneys, Murray hired family law attorneys who told her she was going to lose the case against her. "Not wanting to make the situation any harder on her child, Krystena gave up her baby during a family-court hearing in May 2024," her attorneys wrote. The suit seeks a jury trial and monetary damages including past and future medical expenses and for pain and suffering. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Woman suing Coastal Fertility Specialists over IVF mistake speaks out
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — A local woman's journey to motherhood turned into a nightmare, and now she is suing the company responsible. Krystena Murray wanted to have a baby. She always told people even as a child it was her dream to be a mom. The people who helped her become a mother then took away that joy within seconds of delivery. That's why Murray says she is suing Coastal Fertility Specialists. She turned to Coastal Fertility for help. IVF can be a life changing procedure for couples trying to have a child. While she did eventually give birth, within 15 seconds of the little boy's birth, she knew something was wrong. Her life changed forever. 'The fertility clinic has hurt me in ways that I have yet to discover, and there are literally no words or unit of measure that can describe the damage that they have caused,' explains Murray. 'He was beautiful and literally the best thing I had ever seen. But it was also immediately apparent that he was African-American,' said Murray. It turns out the clinic implanted the wrong embryo into Murray's body, meaning she gave birth to someone else's son. 'The baby she delivered was African-American. It was clear to Cristina that coastal fertility specialist had made an unimaginable error,' said Adam Wolf, Murray's attorney. 'A DNA test then confirm that this is in fact what had occurred. Coastal fertility had transferred to Krystena an embryo that belonged to another couple.' 'My first thought is he's beautiful. My second thought was what happened?' said Murray. 'Did they mess up the embryo or did they mess up the sperm? And if they messed up the embryo, can someone take my son?' And that's exactly the situation she faced. Knowing she was 'not' the biological mother and would not win a legal battle, after caring and loving her son for five months, she gave him up to the couple whose egg she carried. 'I obviously would have kept him forever if I could have and I would have done anything to have done that,' said Murray. 'But that was not an option. So I did what was best for him and made that process as quick and easy as possible with the hopes that this would hopefully not affect him and his growth and development in the future, that he could go and bond with his new family and that this would not be something that would have lifelong effects on him.' But it has has a long lasting affect on Murray, now and in the future. 'My child was ultimately taken from me as the clinic had implanted into my womb. The embryo from a stranger. I have never felt so violated, and this situation has left me emotionally and physically broken.' said Murray. 'I'll never be the same woman. I will never fully heal or completely move on. And part of me will always long for my son and wonder what kind of person he's becoming,' said Murray. 'I can tell you that carrying a child who is not yours unknowingly a loving them, creating a whole life for them, birthing them, knowing they're not yours, loving them anyway, and wanting them. I honestly would have just chosen not to become a mother.' Lawyer Adam Wolf says while this situation is impossibly sad, Krystena is far from alone. 'Coastal Fertility made a serious mistake and the consequences are life altering for Krystena,' says Wolf. 'This is not the first IVF mixed up case that I've handled, and sadly, it will not be the last. A big reason is the lack of regulation. Unfortunately, the United States is one of the few developed countries without meaningful oversight over fertility clinic laboratories. Until IVF clinics are subject to real regulations, reporting requirements and mandatory certification programs for lab staff these types of errors will continue to occur.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Georgia woman sues IVF clinic for implanting wrong embryo after she birthed another couple's baby
SAVANNAH, Georgia — A 38-year-old woman is suing the fertility clinic she used to conceive a child after the wrong embryo was implanted in her, resulting in a shocking discovery as soon as the infant was born, according to a lawsuit. The suit, filed Tuesday in Georgia state court, alleges that 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. Murray then had to give custody of the baby to his biological parents five months later, adding to her trauma, the suit says. Murray, a wedding photographer who lives in Savannah, had decided to conceive and raise a child with the help of a sperm donor through Coastal Fertility Specialists, which operates in vitro fertilization clinics in South Carolina and Georgia. The lawsuit says that Murray selected a sperm donor who resembled her: the donor was white with dirty blond hair and blue eyes. Coastal Fertility transferred an embryo to Murray in 2023, but when she gave birth in December of that year, Murray immediately 'knew something was very wrong,' the lawsuit says, because the boy that she delivered was a 'dark-skinned, African American baby.' '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 said Tuesday at a news conference, adding that she was instantly terrified that the baby would be taken from her. 'All of the love and joy I felt seeing him for the first time was immediately replaced by fear. How could this have happened?' Nonetheless, Murray bonded with the baby and loved him as her own — even after doing a DNA test, the lawsuit says. 'I hoped that it was just a sperm mix-up, not an embryo mix-up,' Murray said in an interview with NBC News. But the DNA results confirmed that the baby was not biologically related to her. She knew she had to tell the clinic, so in February 2024, Murray's attorney informed Coastal Fertility Specialists. The clinic then identified and contacted the baby's biological parents, who are not named in the lawsuit. They confirmed through a DNA test of their own that the child was theirs, then sued for custody, the legal complaint says. Murray voluntarily handed over the baby to his biological parents in court on an agonizing day. 'I walked in a mom 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 told 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,' she added. Murray's attorney, Adam Wolf, a partner at the law firm Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise, said that Murray has not been able to get answers as to whether any of her own embryos were transferred to another couple or if they are still in storage at the fertility clinic. 'We don't know, at present, the current situation of Christina's embryos,' Wolf said at Tuesday's news conference. 'This is the cardinal sin for fertility clinics, to transfer the wrong embryo into one of your patients. It should never happen,' he added. The lawsuit names Coastal Fertility Specialists and Dr. Jeffrey Gray, its director of the embryology laboratory, as defendants. In a statement on behalf of the clinic and Gray, Coastal Fertility Specialists said it '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 in part. Tuesday's suit accuses the defendants of negligence, among other allegations, and seeks damages and a jury trial. 'She was turned into an unwitting surrogate, against her will, for another couple,' the complaint says of Murray. IVF clinic mix-ups are believed to be extremely rare, but Murray's case is not the first of its kind. In 2019, a New York couple sued a California fertility clinic alleging doctors implanted embryos that belonged to two other couples, a discovery the plaintiffs made after giving birth to twins. In 2021, two couples sued a different California clinic after a mix-up there led the couples to spend several months raising each other's biological children before they swapped. The cases have since been settled. While industry groups offer some guidelines on IVF processes, there is no federal regulation of IVF in the United States to prevent mix-ups from occurring, said Dov Fox, a law professor at the University of San Diego, where he directs the Center for Health Law Policy and Bioethics. There is also no federal requirement for U.S. clinics to report such mishaps. 'When it comes to assisted reproduction, no agency or authority tracks or polices this kind of substantial and needless error,' Fox said. There is also no standard recourse guaranteed to all patients and couples who are affected by such errors. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a trade organization, said it could not comment on Tuesday's lawsuit because it did not know the specifics of the case but said reproductive medicine is a 'complex combination of federal, state, and professional self-regulation.' On its website, the group says that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regulate various aspects of IVF, such as the medical devices used and the quality of laboratory testing. Wolf, whose firm specializes in fertility cases, urged greater oversight of the IVF industry similar to what other developed countries have. 'Until IVF clinics are subject to real regulations, reporting requirements and mandatory certification programs for lab staff, these types of errors will continue to occur,' he said in Tuesday's news conference. Murray called the baby boy she gave birth to 'the most beautiful human' she has ever laid eyes on and said she will always consider him her son. 'I spent my entire life wanting to be a mom. I loved, nurtured and grew my child, and I would have done literally anything in my power to keep him,' she said. Priya Sridhar reported from Savannah, Georgia. Elizabeth Chuck reported from New article was originally published on
