The American couple at the centre of an IVF mix-up will remain their six-month-old baby girl’s “permanent” parents after making a deal with her biological parents in a “mutually agreed custody agreement” with them last week, reports the New York Post.
Tiffany Score and Steven Mills had sued the Fertility Centre of Orlando and its head reproductive endocrinologist, Dr Milton McNichol, in January for allegedly implanting the wrong embryo in April 2025 – which the hopeful mother-to-be only discovered after giving birth to “non-Caucasian” Shea on 11 December 2025.
They have since confirmed the identities of the genetic parents of the baby and come to an agreement with them.
DNA testing had confirmed the little girl was not genetically related to them and that she was 100% South Asian, but the couple loved her nonetheless.
They are keeping the details of the deal private, with the court documents saying that as part of the agreement, they will “continue as the permanent custodial parents of their daughter”.
Score and Mills’ lawyer said his clients “are committed” to respecting the privacy of Shea’s genetic parents. “They have begun and intend to continue to foster a relationship of friendship and trust with the other couple,” he said.
Score and Mills also informed the judge they’d chosen a new medical centre to handle any future IVF, and that their embryo had been moved there.
They said information they’d received from the Fertility Centre of Orlando had “revealed laboratory-clinic errors” which could help speed up their case.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
IVF clinic sued after woman has someone else’s baby
White US woman sues after having black baby in IVF error