When couples get married, most of them can’t wait to start their own family.
They schedule appointments with their doctors, start looking at baby names, and even prepare their houses or look for a new one for the baby’s arrival.
Unfortunately, there are some couples who have trouble conceiving the natural way so they turn to advances in science for help. One of these options is In vitro fertilization or IVF.
According to the Mayo Clinic, “In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a complex series of procedures used to help with fertility or prevent genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child.”
It’s not an option for everyone and is mainly available for women over 40 or with certain health conditions, including but not limited to Fallopian tube damage or blockage, Endometriosis, a genetic disorder, or unexplained infertility.
There are a lot of risks involved with IVF, including multiple births, miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy, or birth defects. That’s why this procedure has very strict recommendations.
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And it’s not the most affordable option either.
Couples or women have been known to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and up to millions for this procedure.
An Asian couple, only known as AP and YZ to minimize the “embarrassment and humiliation,” have tried for years to get pregnant the natural way but it wasn’t meant to be. IVF was their next option.
They also knew it was going to cost a lot of money and they have the funds. In their entire IVF journey, they’ve spent more than $100,000 on their travel costs, medicines, and laboratory fees, among others. They were excited for their baby.
The Asian couple, who live in the state of New York, worked with CHA Fertility Clinic in Los Angeles, CA with their IVF journey.
This was it! They were finally going to have their babies and their family. They did everything by the book. And even though they had a confusing scan, that revealed they were having boys after they’ve been told male embryos were not used in their treatment, they were optimistic. It appeared to be nothing, especially since the doctors told them scans are not 100% accurate. They trusted the doctors.
And on March 30, 2019, they gave birth to two healthy baby boys.
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But they had the shock of their life when the babies they saw looked nothing like them, they were not even Asian!
That’s when they found out that there was a mix-up in the clinic and they were given someone else’s embryos. And to make matters worse, the two boys were not even related to each other. They were given two completely different embryos. What was going on?
The Asian couple decided to give up custody of the two children and the clinic informed the biological parents of what happened. The babies are now with their biological parents. One couple decided to stay anonymous. But the other couple, Anni and Ashot Manukyan, have also decided to sue the clinic.
“CHA robbed me of my ability to carry my own child, my baby boy,” Anni Manukyan told a press conference. “Who wants to meet their child in a lobby of a hotel?”
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Mr. and Mrs. Manukyan went for the procedure around the same time the Asian couple did, which could explain how the mix-up occurred.
Unlike the Asian couple, the Manukyans were unsuccessful with their IVF journey, only to find out later they were implanted with a different embryo. And, even if they have their baby boy with them now, she can’t help but feel bad for the woman who carried him.
“What about the woman, you know? What is she going through right now?” Anni asked. “Thank God we got our child back but she ended up with nothing.”
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In the lawsuit filed in New York, they accused the CHA Fertility Center co-owner and director of offenses including medical malpractice and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
“Our goal in filing this lawsuit is to obtain compensation for our clients’ losses, as well as to ensure that this tragedy never happens again,” their lawyers said.
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We do hope the wronged couple now has a family of their own. And no woman or couple experienced this tragedy again.
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