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‘Broken’ mum forced to give up baby after IVF mix-up

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 24 Feb 2025, 11:39am

‘Broken’ mum forced to give up baby after IVF mix-up

Author
NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Mon, 24 Feb 2025, 11:39am

 has been forced to give up the child she carried to term and bonded with for five months after a horrifying mix-up at an IVF clinic.

38-year-old Krystena Murray from Savannah,, is suing Coastal Fertility Specialists after an embryo from another couple was implanted into her womb.

鈥淭he birth of my child was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life, and honestly, it was. But it was also the scariest moment of my life,鈥 Murray said in a press conference with personal injury firm Peiffer Wolf.

Murray, a single white woman, had opted for IVF and chosen a sperm donor who was a white man with blue eyes and dirty blonde hair.

She went through the IVF process and gave birth to a baby boy in December 2023.

She told the press conference she had and his birth was the realisation of a life鈥檚 dream.

But she knew something had gone wrong at the clinic. Her baby was black.

Krystena Murray said she knew something was wrong immediately. Photo / Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & WiseKrystena Murray said she knew something was wrong immediately. Photo / Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise

鈥淢y first thought was, 鈥楬e鈥檚 beautiful鈥. My second thought was, 鈥榃hat happened?鈥欌

She immediately questioned if the child was hers at all but bonded instantly with the little boy and nurtured him for five months as DNA tests were completed.

The results were clear. They shared no DNA.

And so, five months after she finally became a mum, she was forced to hand the boy over to his biological parents.

鈥淚鈥檝e never felt so violated,鈥 an 鈥渆motionally and physically broken鈥 Murray said during the press conference.

鈥淚 spent my entire life wanting to be a mum,鈥 she said.

鈥淚 loved, nurtured and grew my child and I would have done literally anything to keep him.鈥

Krystena Murray told the press conference she wanted to make sure a similar mix-up would not happen to anyone else. Photo / Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & WiseKrystena Murray told the press conference she wanted to make sure a similar mix-up would not happen to anyone else. Photo / Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise

Murray said the clinic鈥檚 actions had caused 鈥渋rreparable damage鈥 to her soul and left her questioning if she should be a mother.

鈥淭o 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,鈥 Murray said.

鈥淚鈥檒l never fully recover from this.鈥

Lawyer Adam Wolf said his client still did not know what had happened to her own embryos and fertility clinics had a responsibility to avoid the 鈥渓ife-altering鈥 consequences of errors.

In a statement released to the Associated Press, Coastal Fertility Specialists apologised for 鈥渁n unprecedented error that resulted in an embryo transfer mix-up.鈥

鈥淭his was an isolated event with no further patients affected,鈥 the statement said.

The clinic also said it had adopted new safeguards and is 鈥渄oing everything we can to make things right for those affected by this incident鈥.

Murray said she considered the serious risks of IVF but wanted others to know what else could happen beyond the possible medical complications.

鈥淣ever once did I consider I might birth someone else鈥檚 child and have them taken from me,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd I feel like that should be something that women are aware of [as] an actual possibility.鈥

Despite the heartbreak, Murray said she plans to undergo IVF treatment at another clinic.

鈥淚鈥檓 hoping to continue my journey to be a mum in the next year or two,鈥 she said.

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