When life expands our definition of family
Sometimes life throws us curveballs, and our lives are enriched in unexpected ways.
That is certainly true in the lives of Tiffany Score and Steven Mills.
In December, 2025, the couple got the surprise of a lifetime when Tiffany gave birth to a child that wasn’t genetically theirs due to an embryo mix-up at their Orlando fertility clinic.
At first glance, it was obvious that their newborn’s physical appearance was racially non-Caucasian. Subsequent genetic testing revealed that their daughter, Shea, was 100% South Asian.
What should have been one of the happiest moments of their lives was suddenly filled with unimaginable questions.
How did this happen?
What happened to our embryos?
Who are this child's biological parents?
And perhaps most heartbreaking of all...
Will we be able to keep the daughter we already love?
This week, there was a major update in the case.
Six months after Shea's birth, Tiffany and Steven reached a custody agreement with Shea's biological parents that will allow them to retain permanent custody of the daughter they have loved since the moment she entered the world.
When I heard the news, my heart burst wide open.
As someone who has experienced infertility, pregnancy loss, foster parenting, and the many twists and turns that can accompany the journey to parenthood, I cannot begin to imagine the emotions both families have navigated over the past six months.
My heart is filled with gratitude that Tiffany and Steven won't have to experience the heartbreak of saying goodbye to the child they have nurtured and cherished since birth.
At the same time, my heart goes out to Shea's biological parents. I can only imagine the courage, love, and selflessness required to navigate a situation none of us could ever prepare for.
What moves me most about this story is the reminder that family is about so much more than genetics.
Sometimes life asks us to expand our understanding of love.
Sometimes it asks us to embrace relationships that don't fit neatly into traditional definitions.
And sometimes, through circumstances we never would have chosen, our lives become richer, our hearts become bigger, and our families become larger than we ever imagined.
I am thankful that Shea will continue to be surrounded by people who love her so deeply.
And in a world that often feels divided, that feels like something worth celebrating.
#embryomixup
#IVFmistakes
#lovemakesafamily
