Florida couple to keep custody of child from wrong embryo
8 reported
A Florida couple who discovered their newborn was not biologically related to them after the child appeared to be of a different race will retain permanent custody of the baby, according to a court filing. Steven Mills and Tiffany Score reached a custody agreement with the child’s biological parents, identified only as Patient 004, in a filing last week from their lawsuit against the Fertility Center of Orlando. The couple had used the clinic for in-vitro fertilization, and Score gave birth to their daughter, Shea, in December 2025. Genetic testing confirmed Shea was not related to either parent. The couple’s lawsuit sought to identify the biological parents and to pay for genetic testing of other patients’ children to check for additional mix-ups. The Fertility Center of Orlando closed on May 20, according to an announcement on its website, and has also faced unrelated legal issues involving a 2024 surrogate pregnancy where the infant died soon after birth. The details of the custody agreement will remain private, per the court filing.
What’s reported
Steven Mills and Tiffany Score learned their newborn, Shea, was not biologically related to them after the child appeared to be of a different race.
The couple reached a custody agreement with Shea’s biological parents, identified as Patient 004, in a court filing last week.
The couple used the Fertility Center of Orlando for IVF; Score gave birth in December 2025.
Genetic testing confirmed Shea was not biologically related to either parent.
The couple had three embryos stored at the clinic: one resulted in a miscarriage, one was transported to a new facility, and one remains unaccounted for.
The Fertility Center of Orlando shuttered operations on May 20.
The clinic also faced unrelated legal issues involving a 2024 surrogate pregnancy where the infant died soon after birth.
The custody agreement details will remain private.
Key figures
Steven Mills (father)
Tiffany Score (mother)
Shea (child)
Patient 004 (biological parents, anonymous)
Jack Scarola (attorney for Mills and Score)
Fertility Center of Orlando (clinic)
Sources: The Guardian
