Florida couple keeps permanent custody of baby after IVF mix-up agreement
A Florida couple at the center of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) error will retain permanent custody of the daughter they raised from birth following a formal agreement reached with the child’s biological parents.
Tiffany Score and Steven Mills shared the resolution publicly on social media, expressing profound relief and gratitude. The resolution follows an emotionally trying period that began roughly two months ago when the couple successfully identified the genetic parents of their daughter, Shea. Score characterized the biological parents as wonderful individuals and emphasized that both families intend to maintain an ongoing relationship moving forward. Under the terms of the custody arrangement, the genetic parents will remain an active part of Shea's life, avoiding what could have been a lengthy and agonizing courtroom battle.
Legal representatives for the biological parents noted that choosing not to contest custody was a heartbreaking but deliberate decision, made entirely because they believed an adversarial legal fight would not be in the child's best interests.
The extraordinary situation traces back to March 2025, when Score and Mills underwent an embryo transfer at the Fertility Center of Orlando, located in Longwood, Florida. The procedure resulted in a successful pregnancy, and Shea was born in December 2025. However, as the infant grew, the parents noticed distinct physical and racial differences that prompted them to seek independent genetic screening. The results confirmed that the child bore absolutely no genetic connection to either Score or Mills.
The medical facility initially released a statement acknowledging the error and pledging full cooperation with multi-agency investigations to determine exactly how and when the embryo mix-up occurred. Since the allegations came to light, the Fertility Center of Orlando has permanently shut its doors and is currently facing several severe lawsuits.
Score and Mills filed a lawsuit targeting the clinic and its primary reproductive endocrinologist. Their legal action seeks to compel the shuttered facility to notify all patients who had embryos stored there prior to March 2025 about the breach, giving other families a chance to determine if their genetic material was compromised or misplaced. Furthermore, the suit demands that the defendants fund comprehensive genetic testing for all children born via embryo transfers at the clinic over the preceding five years to uncover any additional parentage discrepancies.
Attorneys representing Score and Mills indicate they are continuing to investigate broader laboratory and clinical protocol failures at the facility. Meanwhile, Shea's biological parents are also preparing to launch their own separate legal action against the clinic and its medical director.
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