Embryo Mix-Up Leaves Mother Devastated and Fighting for Justice
A Georgia woman is suing a fertility clinic after discovering that she had given birth to another couple’s baby due to a shocking embryo mix-up.
Krystena Murray, 38, of Savannah, underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) in early 2023 and became pregnant after an embryo transfer at Coastal Fertility Specialists. However, when she gave birth in December 2023, she immediately realized something was wrong—the baby was Black, while both she and her sperm donor are white.
The devastating mistake led to months of emotional turmoil, culminating in Murray surrendering the child to his biological parents after a legal battle she could not win.
A Shocking Discovery
Murray said her pregnancy seemed normal until she gave birth and saw the baby for the first time.
“I have never felt so violated, and the situation has left me emotionally and physically broken,” she said during a virtual news conference. “I spent my entire life wanting to be a mom. I loved, nurtured, and grew my child and would have done literally anything to keep him.”
After confirming through DNA testing that the baby was not genetically hers, Murray reported the mix-up to Coastal Fertility Specialists, hoping they would take accountability. Instead, she says, the clinic notified the child’s biological parents—who then demanded custody.
Legal Battle and Emotional Toll
Murray filed a civil lawsuit against Coastal Fertility Specialists on Tuesday, accusing the clinic of negligence and emotional distress. The lawsuit alleges that the clinic’s “extreme and outrageous” mistake effectively forced her to act as an unwitting surrogate against her will.
Murray’s attorney, Adam Wolf, said that she still does not know what happened to her own embryos and that the clinic has provided little explanation.
“Fertility clinics engage in vitally important work,” Wolf said. “But when mistakes like this happen, the consequences are life-altering.”
Coastal Fertility Specialists, which operates in Georgia and South Carolina, admitted to the mix-up, calling it an “unprecedented error” and promising to implement safeguards to prevent similar incidents.
“This was an isolated event with no further patients affected,” the clinic said in a statement. “We are doing everything we can to make things right for those involved.”
Forced to Give Up Her Baby
After the biological parents sued for custody, Murray said she had no choice but to give up the baby, despite having carried and cared for him for five months.
“I considered the risks of IVF going in—bleeding, infection, sterility, even death,” Murray said. “Never once did I consider I might birth someone else’s child and have them taken from me.”
Murray has not seen the baby since May 2023. She said she lived in constant fear that someone would recognize the child and take him away before she was ready. She avoided posting photos, kept him wrapped in blankets in public, and initially hid him from family and friends.
Now, she is demanding accountability from the clinic and hopes her lawsuit will raise awareness of the risks IVF patients may unknowingly face.
“This is a nightmare that no mother should have to go through,” Murray said. “Fertility clinics need to do better.”
