Single Woman, 38, Claims IVF Mixup Caused Her to Give Birth to Another Couple’s Baby: Lawsuit

• Krystena Murray, a single woman, sought the help of Coastal Fertility Specialists to become a parent through IVF, according to a complaint filed in Georgia court
• To her surprise, Murray, who is White and chose a sperm donor with a “similar appearance,” welcomed a “dark-skinned, African American baby,” according to the complaint
• Although Murray “loved her child,” she ultimately gave up custody to the boy’s biological parents and has not seen him since, according to the complaint

A woman is suing after an alleged IVF mixup resulted her in carrying and giving birth to another couple’s biological child.

Krystena Murray, a single woman, gave birth on Dec. 29, 2003, according to a complaint filed in the State Court of Chatham County, Ga. and obtained by PEOPLE on Tuesday, Feb. 18.

Upon seeing her baby, Murray “knew something was very wrong.” According to the complaint and reported by the Associated Press, Murray — described as a “fair-skinned, White woman” — chose a sperm donor with a “similar appearance.” However, the baby she welcomed was a “dark-skinned, African American baby,” according to the complaint

Although Murray “had no issues or concerns with the Baby’s race,” according to the complaint, “it was obvious that there was no chance the child was biologically related” to her, which was “terrifying and shocking.”

“This has destroyed me,” Murray, who no longer has custody of the child, said in a statement. “Nothing can express the shock and violation upon learning that your doctor put a stranger’s embryo into your body. To carry a baby, fall in love with him, deliver him, and build the uniquely special bond between mother and baby, all to have him taken away. I’ll never fully recover from this.”

According to the complaint, Murray, a single woman from Savannah, Ga., turned to Coastal Fertility for help becoming pregnant using a sperm donor she requested.

In May 2023, Coastal Fertility allegedly transferred an embryo to Murray, who became pregnant — but according to the complaint, what she didn’t know at the time was that the embryo allegedly belonged to another couple who were also using Coastal Fertility.

When she gave birth, what was supposed to be a joyful moment became a day “dominated by confusion and fear.”

Although “none of this changed how much Murray “loved her child,” she still wanted answers — and after getting results from an at-home DNA test in January 2024, she had her lawyer contact the clinic in February.

She claimed in the complaint that in March 2024, Coastal Fertility “surmised” that it had transferred an embryo to her that belonged to another couple whom she did not know, according to the complaint.

The couple then sued Murray for custody of the baby, and a subsequent DNA test allegedly confirmed they were in fact the baby’s biological parents. Rather than let the child experience additional hardship, Murray decided to voluntarily give up custody in May 2024. She had not seen the child since, according to the complaint.

In a statement, Coastal Fertility Specialists described what happened to Murray as an “isolated incident” in its 15-year history with “no further patients affected.”

“Coastal Fertility Specialists deeply regrets the distress caused by an unprecedented error that resulted in an embryo transfer mix-up,” the clinic said in a statement to NBC and The Washington Post. “While this ultimately led to the birth of a healthy child, we recognize the profound impact this situation has had on the affected families, and we extend our sincerest apologies.”

Since then, the clinic has allegedly conducted an in-depth review and implemented additional safeguard and is “doing everything we can to make things right for those affected by this incident.”

Coastal Fertility Specialists did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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Speaking with reporters at a press conference to announce the lawsuit, Murray said that one of the reasons why she came forward with the suit is so that others don’t have to experience what she went through.

“Hopefully there will be more regulations and better policy and procedure at clinics and safety checks and hard stops that can prevent errors like this happening in the future,” she said.

“This is not the first IVF mixup case that I’ve handled, and sadly, it will not be the last,” added Murray’s attorney, Adam Wolf. “Until IVF clinics are subject to real regulations, reporting requirements and mandatory certification programs for lab staff, these types of errors will continue to occur.”

Murray also told reporters that she has no desire to go through IVF again, but still hopes to become a parent.

“I’ll be 39 soon,” she said. “I’m hoping to continue my journey to be a mom in the next year or two.”