Palm Beach County, Florida – A couple in Florida has filed a lawsuit against a local IVF clinic, alleging a serious medical error that resulted in the wife giving birth to a baby who is not genetically related to either parent. The lawsuit, detailed in court documents obtained by News 6 Orlando, claims the woman was implanted with the wrong embryo during fertility treatment.
Lawsuit Filed Against Fertility Center of Orlando
According to the complaint filed on Jan. 9 in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, the woman and her spouse, identified as Jane and John Doe, were patients at the Fertility Center of Orlando. The couple began pursuing in vitro fertilization treatment at the clinic in March 2025.
The lawsuit alleges the woman believed she was implanted with an embryo created using her egg and her husband’s sperm. Instead, she later discovered the embryo was not biologically connected to either of them.
Genetic Testing Reveals Shocking Discovery
Court filings state the woman gave birth to a baby girl in early December. The documents describe the woman as Caucasian and allege the baby appeared to be of a different racial background, prompting the couple to seek genetic testing.
The results allegedly confirmed the baby was not biologically related to either parent. The couple’s attorney has not publicly commented on the lawsuit, according to PEOPLE, which reported on the case.
Fear That Another Family Has Their Embryos
In the lawsuit, the couple expressed deep concern that one or more of their embryos may have been implanted in another patient.
“Of equal concern to the Plaintiffs is the obvious possibility that someone else was implanted with one or more of their embryos and is pregnant with or has been pregnant with and is presently parenting one or more of their children,” the lawsuit states, as reported by WFLA.
The couple said they contacted the clinic requesting help in identifying the baby’s genetic parents by Jan. 7, but allege they received no response before filing the lawsuit.
Emotional Bond With the Child
Despite learning the baby is not genetically theirs, the lawsuit emphasizes the strong emotional bond formed during pregnancy and after birth.
“An intensely strong emotional bond was created on the part of John and Jane Doe with the unborn child Jane Doe carried during the nine months of her pregnancy,” the lawsuit states.
The filing adds that while the couple is willing to continue caring for the baby, they believe she “should legally and morally be united with her genetic parents” if those parents are fit and willing to assume custody.
What the Plaintiffs Are Asking For
The lawsuit requests that the Fertility Center of Orlando notify all patients who stored embryos at the clinic before the plaintiff’s implantation. The couple is also asking the clinic to provide free genetic testing for all patients over the past five years, as well as for children born from implanted embryos during that time.
Any discrepancies uncovered during testing should be disclosed to affected families, according to the complaint, which was also cited by WESH.
Clinic Responds to Allegations
In a statement provided to WESH, the Fertility Center of Orlando said it is cooperating with an investigation into the incident.
The clinic stated it is working with multiple entities to determine when and where the error may have occurred and emphasized that its priority is transparency and the well-being of both the patient and the child involved.
