Couple Sue Huntington Reproductive Center Fertility Clinic Over Embryo

A couple who used a Pasadena fertility clinic to have a child via in vitro fertilization have filed a lawsuit against the facility.

According to the couple, the doctors at HRC (Huntington Reproductive Center) Fertility mistakenly transferred an embryo that had previously tested positive for a deadly cancer gene during the process. 

Attorneys for the couple, identified as Melissa and Jason Diaz, say the facility conducted genetic testing to screen the couple’s embryos for cancer genes and other genetic anomalies.

Despite the embryo testing positive and being ruled out as a suitable embryo, the couple’s lawyers say the incorrect embryo was transferred and implanted in the mother’s uterus and the child was born with the deadly stomach cancer gene.

The child, who is now one year old, will require a major, life-altering stomach removal surgery when he is 15 years old due to an imminent diagnosis of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer, according to the lawsuit submitted to the court by Adam Wolf, the couple’s attorney.

In addition,  attorneys for the couple allege that HRC Fertility then attempted to conceal its blunder by altering the records that it sent to its patients.

Wolf and the parents planned to file the lawsuit Wednesday and held a virtual press conference to discuss the story.

HRC Fertility offers a wide range of fertility services, including IVF, egg freezing and semen analysis. The clinic is affiliated with Keck Medicine of USC and is a popular choice for people experiencing fertility issues, with several locations across the Los Angeles area.

In 2022, the clinic was sued by a gay couple who alleged they only wanted sons but had a daughter via surrogate in 2021. Portions of that lawsuit were tossed out, but the suit is set to be heard in November, according to City News Service.