"We Love Our Little Girl": Family Sues After IVF Embryo Mix-Up in Orlando

A Florida couple is suing a fertility clinic.

A Florida couple is in the middle of a heartbreaking and complicated situation after an IVF clinic mixed up embryos. They filed a lawsuit against the Fertility Center of Orlando and Dr. Milton McNichol, claiming the clinic implanted someone else’s embryo during the procedure. Their daughter was born in December, but soon after, the couple noticed she didn’t share their ethnicity. Genetic testing confirmed the truth—they aren’t her biological parents.

Even so, the family’s love for their little girl is clear. “We love our little girl, and if possible, we would hope to be able to continue to raise her ourselves with confidence that she won’t be taken away from us,” they said in a statement. Still, they feel a deep responsibility to find her biological parents and let them know the situation. “It is in her best interest that her genetic parents are provided the option to raise her as their own,” the couple explained.

The lawsuit isn’t just about what happened to them. Their attorneys want the clinic to save records, notify any other patients who might be affected, and start immediate genetic testing to figure out who else is involved. Right now, nobody knows who the baby’s biological parents are, and the couple is desperate for answers—not just to connect their daughter with her genetic family, but to find out what happened to their own biological child.

The Fertility Center of Orlando says it’s investigating the error. In a statement, the clinic said it’s cooperating fully, working with multiple organizations, and promised transparency throughout the process. “Our priority remains transparency and the well-being of the patient and child involved,” the statement read.

This painful situation also brings up tough legal questions. In Florida, the law usually recognizes the genetic mother and father as the child’s legal parents, not necessarily the woman who gave birth. For this family, the next steps are filled with uncertainty, hope, and an unwavering love for the little girl at the center of it all.