Couple Sues Fertility Clinic After Welcoming Baby Girl Not Biologically Related to Them

Tiffany Score and Steven Mills say they have a "moral obligation" to find their daughter's genetic parents after IVF embryo mixup

Published on Jan. 30, 2026

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Tiffany Score and her husband Steven Mills filed a lawsuit against a Florida IVF clinic after welcoming a baby girl last year who they claim is not genetically related to them. The couple says they are heartbroken and confused, but also love the baby "more than words can express." They are seeking information about their daughter's biological parents and what happened to the embryos they had frozen at the clinic.

Why it matters

This case highlights the complex ethical and legal issues that can arise from assisted reproductive technologies like IVF. It raises questions about the responsibilities of fertility clinics, the rights of parents and children, and how to handle situations where there are unintended outcomes from medical procedures.

The details

According to the lawsuit, Score and Mills turned to the Fertility Center of Orlando last April to help them start a family. They were able to produce and store three viable embryos. In April, Score was allegedly implanted with what she thought was one of those embryos, but when their daughter Shea was born in December, the couple realized she did not look like either of them. Genetic testing confirmed Shea is not biologically related to Score or Mills. The couple is now suing the clinic, seeking information about Shea's biological parents and what happened to the embryos they had frozen.

  • In April 2025, Score was allegedly implanted with an embryo at the Fertility Center of Orlando.
  • On December 11, 2025, Score and Mills welcomed their daughter Shea.
  • In January 2026, the couple filed a lawsuit against the Fertility Center of Orlando.

The players

Tiffany Score

A woman who, along with her husband Steven Mills, welcomed a baby girl last year who they claim is not genetically related to them.

Steven Mills

The husband of Tiffany Score, who along with his wife welcomed a baby girl last year who they claim is not genetically related to them.

Fertility Center of Orlando

The IVF clinic in Longwood, Florida that Tiffany Score and Steven Mills turned to in order to start a family.

Dr. Milton McNichol

The doctor at the Fertility Center of Orlando who was named in the couple's lawsuit.

Shea Score Mills

The baby girl welcomed by Tiffany Score and Steven Mills, who they claim is not biologically related to them.

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What they’re saying

“Our joy over her birth is further complicated by the devastating reality that her genetic parents—whom we do not yet know—or possibly another family entirely, may have received the child we conceived. We are heartbroken, devastated, and confused.”

— Tiffany Score and Steven Mills (PEOPLE)

“It is obvious.”

— Jack Scarola, Attorney (PEOPLE)

What’s next

A hearing on Friday, January 30th is expected to enable the court to act as an intermediary and determine what information from the clinic can be shared with the couple.

The takeaway

This case highlights the critical need for strict protocols and oversight at fertility clinics to prevent devastating mix-ups that can upend the lives of hopeful parents and innocent children. It also underscores the complex ethical and legal issues that can arise from assisted reproductive technologies.