IVF Mix-Up: White US Woman Gives Birth to Black Baby, Faces Custody Battle

Motherhood is often described as an adventure, but for Krystena Murray, 38, it took an unexpected and heartbreaking turn.

A Georgia resident, Murray underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) at Coastal Fertility Specialists in 2023. However, after giving birth in December, she immediately noticed something was amiss—the baby’s ethnicity was Black, while both she and her selected sperm donor were white. She later discovered that the clinic had mistakenly implanted another couple’s embryo.

Despite the mix-up, Murray formed a deep bond with the child and was determined to raise him. But after informing the clinic of the error, the staff located the baby’s biological parents, who then sought custody. Realizing she faced an unwinnable legal fight, Murray relinquished the child in May when he was five months old.

“I have never felt so violated, and the situation has left me emotionally and physically broken,” Murray shared during a virtual press conference. “I spent my entire life wanting to be a mom. I loved, nurtured, and grew my child, and I would have done literally anything to keep him.”

On Tuesday, Murray filed a lawsuit against Coastal Fertility, accusing the clinic of negligence. The suit claims its “extreme and outrageous” mistake forced her into becoming an “unwitting surrogate” against her will. She is seeking unspecified monetary damages.

The clinic has apologized for what it called an “unprecedented error” and stated that it has since implemented new safeguards to prevent such incidents. However, Murray and her attorney, Adam Wolf, say they still have no information on the fate of her own embryos or whether they were implanted in another patient.

Wolf’s law firm has handled more than 1,000 cases involving fertility clinic errors, including lost or damaged embryos, but he notes that mistakes like Murray’s are rare. “Fertility clinics engage in vitally important work,” Wolf said. “But when they make mistakes like this, the consequences are life-altering.”

Murray, who initially kept her newborn a secret from friends and family out of fear of losing him, is now speaking out to warn other women about the risks of IVF.

“Never once did I consider I might birth someone else’s child and have them taken from me,” she said. “And I feel like that should be something that women are aware of as an actual possibility.”