Clinic error shatters family history: Utah couple's IVF nightmare
Donna and Vanner Johnson, living in Utah, USA, were interested in exploring their family history. Therefore, they decided to take steps to discover their family tree. After receiving the results, they began to regret their curiosity, wishing to reverse their decision to investigate the past.
After raising two children, the Johnson family thought that one day, it would be worth doing DNA tests. They decided to take this step to better understand their roots and ancestors.
The test results caused them enormous surprise and despair. It turned out that their twelve-year-old son, who was conceived via in vitro fertilisation, is not biologically related to Vanner despite using his biological material for fertilisation. The Johnsons decided to find out how this could have happened.
They quickly discovered that there was a tragic mistake at the clinic. A clinic employee mixed up the genetic materials, resulting in their son being biologically fathered by someone else.
The Johnsons decided to contact their son's biological father. They discovered that Devin McNeil from Colorado was at the clinic the same day. Both families decided to sue the facility jointly.
In an interview with ABC4.com, Vanner Johnson revealed that although they had to work through many emotions, their love for their son remained unchanged. Devin McNeil, quoted by abc.net.au, admitted that it was difficult for him to comprehend and process such a situation.
What is the in vitro procedure?
It is a procedure also known as in vitro fertilisation. It is one of the most effective methods of infertility treatment. However, it is only used when other methods do not produce the desired results. The in vitro method involves fertilising an egg cell under laboratory conditions. According to data, even 35% of women conceive during the first attempt at artificial fertilisation.
