IVF Patient Mistakenly Implanted with the Wrong Embryo
Posted by realityrounds on September 22, 2009
This is truly a remarkable story. Carolyn and Sean Savage sought in vitro fertilization in an attempt to have a fourth child. They used their own frozen embryo for implantation, but the fertility clinic accidentally impregnated Carolyn with another couple’s embryo. The couple has consulted with reproductive endocrinologists and medical ethicists, who all agreed she must give up the infant to the biological couple upon birth. The Savage’s have spoken with the couple who created the implanted embryo, and they have planned to come and take custody of the infant shortly after Carolyn has her planned C-Section. See the whole story and video here.
I just can not imagine what this couple, really both couples, are going through. From the interview the Savage family appears to be handling this situation with so much more grace and dignity than I ever could. How do you carry a baby for nine months, one that you want but you know is not yours, and have to hand him over to strangers the minute he is born? To me it would feel like a neonatal death, as if you lost your child. What kind of counseling would you give to the Savage family?
I also wonder how in the world this mix up happened. I know it is a rare mistake and it has happened before, but how exactly does it happen? Does anyone out there work in reproductive medicine who could explain? I would think a “time-out” would be done before this procedure is undertaken.
So sad.
RR
KM said
I can’t imagine. What a difficult thing to have to go through. Hopefully this will all look so much better in hindsight.
What a wonderful strong woman Mrs. Savage must be. I hope the biological parents treat her with the respect and caring she deserves.
Stacey said
This is so much better than the only other story I have read on an IVF mixup- the one where the fetus was aborted and the embryo was the very last of the biological mother’s.
Jill said
Whoah! Wow.
Akiko said
How wonderful of the Savage family to offer to be surrogates for the other family. I guess their struggles with infertility made them more willing to help another infertile couple. My bet is there is a moentary compensation as well.
enjoybirth said
I think that they are amazing to have this baby for the other couple. Especially after having such difficult pregnancies. I was sad to see some other responses to this information, judging them negatively. I think it is amazing. What a difficult situation to be in.
midwife said
It is amazing to think this baby could be anyone but the Savages.
michele said
Wow – I cannot even imagine what both couples are going through.
As for the IVF mix-up Stacey spoke of….just reading that one sentence about the story made me nauseous. I cannot imagine what the biological mother was feeling after.. my heart goes out to her.
Rahel said
I don’t know how I feel about this, especially any “medical ethicist” telling a woman what she “HAS” to do with her body. If she really freely chose to surrender the baby then I guess that worked out fine for at least one couple, but the way it sounds is that she was fairly heavily pressured. I have to admit, you’d have to get a lawyer and win a suit to get me to carry a pregnancy to term for someone else against my wishes, and even then I’d fight you as hard as I could. My body, not my mistake, I’m not willing to lay my life on the line for c-section number four only to be essentially forced to hand the infant over.
Momof4MN said
I’m with you Rahel. These people are extraordinarily gracious – but really, could anyone FORCE them to give the baby up?
This makes me wonder about what the emotional process is like for (for lack of a better term) “professional” surrogates. I’m sure they go into it with a certain mind set – but the hormones are still there. Have there been any studies?
Momof4MN said
Don’t know if this is helpful but I thought I’d add that as a babylost mother I would have gladly given my son to anyone else to raise if it would have meant I didn’t have to bury him.
enjoybirth said
I just wanted to add, I just created a new blog. Moms Deserve Medals and talked about this mom there! She certainly deserves a medal!
http://www.momsdeservemedals.com/blog
realityrounds said
How cool. I am going right now to check out your site!
mamamia said
Didn’t they “lose” the embryos of the other mom, so in fact this is her last chance also of having her and husbands own baby.