Coastal Fertility Lawsuit, Woman Christina Murray Gave Birth to Stranger’s Baby After IVF Procedure in May 2023 Mix-Up—Now She’s Suing

Krystena Murray filed a lawsuit February 18, 2025 against Coastal Fertility Specialists after they implanted the wrong embryo, causing her to give birth to another couple’s biological child in December 2023. She raised the Black baby boy for five months before biological parents sued for custody and won. Murray seeks $75,000+ in damages and hasn’t seen the child since May 2024.

The Moment Everything Changed

December 29, 2023. Savannah, Georgia.

Krystena Murray was about to meet her baby for the first time.

She’d spent nearly two years trying to get pregnant. Countless doctor visits. Daily hormone injections. Egg retrieval surgery. Two embryo transfers.

Finally, after all that, she was in the delivery room.

When the baby came out, Murray knew instantly something was very, very wrong.

The baby was Black.

Both Murray and her sperm donor were White with blonde hair and blue eyes.

“The birth of my child was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life, and honestly, it was,” Murray said at a press conference. “But it was also the scariest moment of my life.”

She Loved Him Anyway

Despite the shock, Murray didn’t reject the baby.

She bonded with him immediately. She breastfed him. Took him to doctor’s appointments. Cuddled him. Loved him like he was hers.

But fear consumed her.

She didn’t post pictures on social media. She didn’t show him to friends or family. When she went to a funeral shortly after giving birth, she kept him covered with a blanket.

“All of the love and joy I felt seeing him for the first time was immediately replaced by fear,” she said.

She was terrified someone would take him away.

The DNA Test She Didn’t Want to Take

Murray hoped maybe it was just a sperm mix-up—that the baby came from her egg but a different donor’s sperm.

In late January 2024, she took an at-home DNA test.

The results confirmed her worst fear: the baby wasn’t biologically related to her at all.

Not her egg. Not her donor’s sperm. A complete stranger’s embryo had been implanted in her uterus.

The Phone Call That Destroyed Her Life

February 5, 2024. Murray’s attorney contacted Coastal Fertility Specialists about the mix-up.

The clinic investigated and figured out what happened: they’d accidentally transferred another couple’s embryo to Murray instead of hers.

Then Coastal Fertility did something that changed everything.

They contacted the biological parents—a couple Murray had never met who lived in another state—and told them what happened.

Within weeks, that couple sued Murray for custody of the baby she’d been raising for three months.

The Custody Battle She Couldn’t Win

Murray wanted to keep the baby. She’d carried him for nine months. She’d given birth to him. She was the only mother he’d ever known.

But her family-law attorneys told her the truth: she was going to lose.

Legally, the biological parents had all the rights. Murray had none.

May 2024. The baby was five months old.

Murray walked into family court with her son. She walked out with an empty stroller.

“I walked in a mom with a child and a baby who loved me and was mine and was attached to me,” Murray told NBC News. “And I walked out of the building with an empty stroller, and they left with my son.”

She hasn’t seen him since.

The Lawsuit Filed February 18, 2025

On February 18, 2025, Murray filed a civil lawsuit in Georgia state court against Coastal Fertility Specialists and Dr. Jeffrey Gray.

The 41-page complaint accuses the clinic of negligence and claims Murray was “turned into an unwitting surrogate, against her will, for another couple.”

What she’s asking for:

• A jury trial
• At least $75,000 in damages
• Additional unspecified monetary damages
• Accountability for what happened

“This has destroyed me,” Murray said. “I’m heartsick; I’m emotionally broken. I’ll never fully recover from this.”

Her attorney, Adam Wolf from Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise, said: “Coastal Fertility Specialists made a very serious error, and the consequences are life-altering.”

What Coastal Fertility Says

The clinic released a carefully worded statement apologizing for the “unprecedented error.”

Here’s what they said:

“Coastal Fertility Specialists deeply regrets the distress caused by an unprecedented error that resulted in an embryo transfer mix-up. While this ultimately led to the birth of a healthy child, we recognize the profound impact this situation has had on the affected families, and we extend our sincerest apologies.”

They added:

• This was an “isolated event” in their 15-year history
• No other patients were affected
• They immediately put additional safeguards in place
• They’re doing “everything we can to make things right”

But Murray’s lawyer isn’t buying it.

“Unfortunately, the United States does not have meaningful fertility industry oversight,” Wolf said. “Until IVF clinics are subject to real regulations, reporting requirements and mandatory certification programs for lab staff, these mishaps will continue to occur.”

How Did This Even Happen?

That’s the question everyone’s asking.

Murray went through the standard IVF process in early 2023:

• Daily hormone injections for over two weeks to stimulate egg production
• Nearly every-other-day visits for blood tests and monitoring
• Egg retrieval surgery (several eggs extracted)
• Lab fertilization using her selected donor’s sperm
• First embryo transfer (didn’t work)
• Second embryo transfer in May 2023 (resulted in pregnancy)

Somewhere between creating her embryos and implanting one in her uterus, Coastal Fertility grabbed the wrong embryo.

They transferred a stranger couple’s embryo instead of Murray’s.

The clinic has never publicly explained how the mix-up happened or what specific breakdown in procedures caused it.

The Question Murray Can’t Stop Asking

Murray still doesn’t know what happened to her own embryos.

Did they implant her embryo in someone else? Is there another woman out there who gave birth to Murray’s biological child without knowing it?

Or did they destroy her embryos by mistake?

The lawsuit doesn’t answer these questions, and Coastal Fertility hasn’t said.

The Bigger Problem With IVF Regulation

Here’s the shocking truth: there’s almost no federal oversight of fertility clinics in the United States.

Unlike other medical procedures, IVF clinics aren’t required to:

• Have certified lab staff
• Follow mandatory safety protocols
• Report errors to any regulatory body
• Undergo regular inspections
• Meet specific quality standards

Each clinic basically regulates itself.

Adam Wolf, who’s represented over 1,000 patients in fertility clinic lawsuits, says this case isn’t unique.

Similar embryo mix-ups have happened across the country:

• A New York couple’s embryo was transferred to a stranger who gave birth to their son
• A Texas couple sued after a clinic used the wrong sperm
• Multiple cases of embryos being destroyed or lost

According to a Pew Research Center survey, IVF use is up 33% from 2018 to 2023. More people are using fertility clinics than ever before.

But regulations haven’t caught up.

What The Lawsuit Claims

The complaint alleges Coastal Fertility:

• Made an “extreme and outrageous” mistake
• Failed to properly verify embryo identity before transfer
• Didn’t have adequate safeguards in place
• Caused Murray severe emotional distress
• Violated the standard of care for fertility clinics

The lawsuit describes Murray’s experience as her “worst nightmare”—every IVF patient’s fear that something could go terribly wrong.

The Emotional Toll

Murray described what the first five months were like:

She couldn’t share her joy with anyone. No baby photos on Instagram. No proud mom moments with friends.

She kept the baby hidden, terrified that if people saw him, they’d ask questions she couldn’t answer.

“I’ve never felt so violated,” Murray said.

She loved the baby completely. She’d formed the “uniquely special bond between mother and baby.” She was his mom in every way that mattered.

Except legally.

When she had to hand him over in court, it shattered her.

“To carry a baby, fall in love with him, deliver him, and build the uniquely special bond between mother and baby, all to have him taken away. I’ll never fully recover from this,” Murray said.

What Happens Next

The lawsuit was just filed in February 2025, so it’s still in the early stages.

Here’s what will likely happen:

Short term:

• Coastal Fertility will file a response to the lawsuit
• Discovery phase will begin (both sides exchange documents and information)
• Depositions of clinic staff, doctors, and Murray
• Expert witnesses will analyze what went wrong

Possible outcomes:

• Settlement before trial (most medical malpractice cases settle)
• Jury trial if no settlement is reached
• If Murray wins, she could receive significant damages beyond the $75,000 minimum

Broader impact:

• Could lead to stricter IVF regulations
• May encourage other victims to come forward
• Sets precedent for future embryo mix-up cases

The Questions This Case Raises

For patients considering IVF:

• How do you know your clinic has proper safeguards?
• What questions should you ask before treatment?
• What are your legal rights if something goes wrong?

For the industry:

• Should fertility clinics face mandatory oversight?
• Should lab staff be required to have certification?
• Should clinics be required to report errors?

For Murray specifically:

• Will she ever get financial compensation that reflects what she lost?
• Will she ever find out what happened to her own embryos?
• Will this lawsuit help prevent other women from experiencing the same nightmare?

The Bottom Line

Krystena Murray went to Coastal Fertility Specialists hoping to become a mother.

Instead, she became an unwitting surrogate for strangers, gave birth to their biological child, fell in love with him, and then had to give him away after five months.

She lost the baby she carried and delivered. She still doesn’t know what happened to her own embryos. And she’s emotionally shattered from the experience.

The lawsuit filed February 18, 2025 seeks to hold Coastal Fertility accountable and push for changes in an industry that operates with shockingly little regulation.

For Murray, no amount of money will bring back the baby she loved. But she hopes sharing her story will prevent this from happening to anyone else.

“Whatever needs to be done to protect anyone trying to build their own family so that this isn’t something that happens again,” Murray said.

Case Details:
Murray v. Coastal Fertility Specialists and Dr. Jeffrey Gray
Filed: February 18, 2025
Court: Georgia State Court, Savannah
Seeking: $75,000+ in damages, jury trial

Clinic Response: Coastal Fertility called it an “isolated event” and says they’ve added safeguards since discovering the error.

Attorney: Adam Wolf, Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise (has represented 1,000+ fertility clinic patients)

Stay Updated: Check Georgia court records or contact fertility malpractice attorneys for more information on IVF patient rights.

About the Author

Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
Her writing blends real legal insight with plain-English explanations, helping readers stay informed and legally aware.
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