SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A fertility clinic in Longwood is again facing legal action after a surrogate mother reported that her baby suffered “genetic anomalies,” leading to his death, according to court records obtained by News 6.
The lawsuit says that the mother — anonymously identified as “Jane Doe” — had been hired by the Fertility Center of Orlando as a surrogate for a separate couple back in 2024.
However, the lawsuit claims that the clinic implanted into Doe an embryo suffering from thanatophoric dysplasia — a severe genetic anomaly that can impact the unborn baby’s bones and lungs.
“Thanatophoric dysplasia is incompatible with life, and any child born with this condition either dies in utero or shortly after birth,” the lawsuit reads. “In this case, the child is believed to have died approximately 10 days after birth.”
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Per the lawsuit, Doe argues that the clinic should have been aware of the increased risks and psychological pressures imposed on a surrogate who carries a fetus with birth defects.
More specifically, court records show that Doe developed several complications related to the baby’s conditions, including:
- Symptomatic Polyhydramnios
- Placental abnormalities
- Bleeding
- Painful preterm contractions
- Hospital admission and increased monitoring/supervision
- Gestational hypertension
Furthermore, the lawsuit argues that Doe had a long history of mental illness, including alcohol abuse, bipolar disorder and poor impulse control, meaning she didn’t have proper judgment on whether to become a surrogate.
“As a woman with a long history of severe mental illness and particularly documented impulsivity and poor judgment, Doe did not have the capacity to consent to the IVF process,” the lawsuit continues.
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By extension, the lawsuit says the intended parents are also at fault for convincing Doe to act as their surrogate.
Now, the lawsuit is accusing the clinic and the intended parents of negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, demanding a jury trial to settle the matter.
It’s not the first time that this clinic has found itself in legal trouble, though. Earlier this year, another lawsuit aimed at the clinic after a mother gave birth to the wrong baby.
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According to that lawsuit, the mother in question gave birth to a baby girl just before Christmas after working with the IVF clinic, though the baby wasn’t the color she expected.
“Tragically, while both Jane Doe and John Doe are racially Caucasian, Baby Doe displayed the physical appearance of a racially non-Caucasian child,” that lawsuit reads.
According to the couple, the discovery caused them to seek out genetic testing, which revealed that the baby had no genetic relationship with either parent.
“Of equal concern to the (couple) is the obvious possibility that someone else was implanted with one or more of their embryos and... is presently parenting one or more of their children,” the lawsuit continues.
Meanwhile, the latest lawsuit can be read below.