LONGWOOD, Fla. — A Florida judge has escalated legal proceedings against the Fertility Center of Orlando, ordering immediate genetic testing for dozens of former patients following a high-profile embryo mix-up. The directive comes after Tiffany Score and Steven Mills discovered their newborn daughter, Shea, born in December, bears no genetic relation to them.
According to legal filings, the couple—who are both white—realized the error upon the birth of their child. Their attorney, Jack Scarola, confirmed that a “dozen or more” families have since come forward, fearing their own biological children may have been displaced or misidentified due to systemic failures at the clinic.
Court Mandates Tiered Genetic Screenings
In an effort to identify the biological parents of two-month-old Shea, the court has established a rigorous, phased testing schedule for patients of Dr. Milton McNichol.
- Phase One: Free genetic testing is currently being offered to patients who underwent embryo implantation in April 2025, the same window as Score.
- Phase Two: Testing will expand to approximately 20 patients who underwent egg harvesting in March 2020, coinciding with the period Score and Mills produced their three viable embryos.
“There are multiple families who believe they might be genetically related to Shea,” Scarola stated, noting that at least one couple is currently awaiting results expected by the first week of March.
The Mystery of the Missing Embryos
Beyond the immediate question of Shea’s parentage, Score and Mills face an agonizing uncertainty regarding their own genetic material. The couple originally produced one male and two female embryos. While they were told one embryo remains in storage, its identity has not been verified.
The investigation is now focused on two primary concerns:
- The identity of Shea’s biological parents.
- Whether a biological child of Score and Mills is currently being raised by another family unaware of the mix-up.
Privacy vs. Accountability
The legal battle has reached a stalemate over patient confidentiality. Representatives for Dr. McNichol and the Fertility Center of Orlando have cited privacy rights as a reason to limit the scope of the investigation. However, the presiding judge has implemented weekly status hearings to bypass bureaucratic delays, prioritizing the “moral obligation” to correct the genetic error.
While Score and Mills have bonded deeply with Shea, the legal uncertainty remains a psychological burden. “Every day counts for this family,” Scarola said, highlighting the fear that biological parents could eventually seek custody.
Looking Ahead
The next status hearing is scheduled for March 4, 2026. This session is expected to reveal the first round of DNA results, potentially providing the first definitive link to Shea’s biological heritage and setting a precedent for how the clinic must handle the remaining 20 families in the secondary testing group.
