A Florida couple will continue raising their baby girl as their own after reaching a custody agreement with the child’s genetic parents following an embryo mix-up at a fertility clinic.
Tiffany Score and Steven Mills welcomed their daughter Shea in December 2025 after undergoing IVF at the Fertility Center of Orlando in Longwood. The couple, both white, noticed their baby appeared racially non-Caucasian, and genetic testing confirmed she was not biologically related to them. They filed a lawsuit against the clinic last year and later worked to identify the child’s genetic parents.
Court documents filed this month in Seminole County show the two families reached a mutually devised, private custody agreement. Under the terms, Score and Mills retain permanent legal custody of Shea while beginning to foster a relationship of friendship and trust with her biological parents. The agreement was approved by a judge on Monday.
The Fertility Center of Orlando closed its operations on May 20, 2026, and transferred cryopreserved specimens to another provider. The couple’s ongoing lawsuit against the clinic addresses the circumstances of the mix-up and related issues. Score and Mills have described the situation as heartbreaking but have emphasized their deep love for Shea, calling her the light of their lives.
The case has drawn national attention to the need for stricter safeguards and oversight in the fertility industry. No injuries or other complications were reported for the child, who remains healthy. The families have asked for privacy as they move forward focused on Shea’s well-being.
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