A Florida couple, Tiffany Score and Steven Mills, filed a lawsuit in Orange County Circuit Court alleging that IVF Life, Inc., and its lead endocrinologist, Dr. Milton McNichol, implanted an embryo belonging to another patient in April 2025. The complaint, reported by the Orlando Sentinel and Law & Crime, centers on the birth of their daughter in December 2025, whom the couple immediately suspected was not biologically theirs due to differing physical characteristics.
Genetic testing subsequently confirmed the child has no genetic relationship to either Score or Mills, despite the couple having stored three viable embryos at the Orlando facility since 2020. The couple stated in their filing that they developed an intense emotional bond with the child during gestation and after birth, and the infant remains in their care.
The couple’s attorney, John Scarola, demanded the clinic locate the child's genetic parents and explain the disposition of the clients’ own embryos. Scarola noted the emotional complexity, emphasizing that while the Scores wish to raise the child, they feel a moral obligation to reunite her with her biological family should they surface.
Legal proceedings have begun, with an emergency hearing held before Judge Margaret Schreiber to compel action from the clinic. The suit requests funding for extensive genetic testing across potentially affected patient cohorts and disclosure of all procedures that could have resulted in the mix-up, which Scarola termed a "horrendous error."
Judge Schreiber acknowledged the legal ambiguity, noting a scarcity of Florida precedent to guide the resolution of such a complex medical error involving stored genetic material. The defense faces pressure to protect the confidentiality of all their clients while addressing the immediate crisis for the Score-Mills family and the unknown biological parents.
IVF Life, Inc., issued a statement, later removed from their website, confirming cooperation with an investigation into the error that led to the birth of the non-related child. The alleged incident could involve either an error during the five-year storage period or during the 2025 implantation procedure, according to the filing.
This incident highlights significant vulnerabilities in the cryopreservation and handling protocols common across the assisted reproductive technology sector. The need for robust, auditable digital tracking systems for embryos is underscored by the potential for catastrophic identity and familial disruption.
