White New Jersey couple sues fertility clinic after giving birth to Asian girl following sperm mix-up
Verona couple Kristina Koedderich and Drew Wasilewski opted for artificial insemination through in vitro fertilization after they failed to conceive on their own. Six years ago, they were blessed with a baby girl after spending nearly $500,000 on treatment.
When their daughter turned two, the white couple started noticing that her features were looking more and more Asian. And after a DNA test was conducted, it was concluded that Drew was not her biological father. Their predicament was revealed in a lawsuit they filed against the clinic Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science (IRMS) . The couple is now divorced because of the incident.
David Mazie, who is representing the couple in the case, said although the parents love their daughter, they “were entitled to have child with both of their genes,” NJ.com reported. Mazie, who is from Mazie, Slater, Katz & Freeman law firm, also told NPR that the incident has been “devastating” for the couple.
“To go through all the shots, all of the treatments, spend all of that money, and be lucky enough to have a child but then find out it's not 100% your child... It's inexcusable. It should never happen,” he added.
Superior Court Judge Keith Lynott in Essex County asked the clinic to hand over a list with the names of men and women who went there around the same time as the couple. NJ.com also cited attorneys of the institute saying that releasing such information would violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. To that, the judge said identifying information present on the lists could be redacted.
The judge, however, said the name and address of the man whose sperm was used in the procedure will have to be un-redacted.
The shocked couple said that their marriage was over because of the clinic’s negligence. Their attorney Mazie also said that the two have sought to know how Wasilewski’s sperm was treated. If it was not used for the procedure it was meant for, then it must have been used for some other purpose.
Mazie said the couple wants to know their daughter’s actual father in order to learn more about her genetic history. The lawsuit even said that the girl, who is six now, has inherited a genetic blood disorder which comes with a Southeast Asian heritage.
Mazie also spoke in favor of the girl saying she too has the right to know her genetic history.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Saint Barnabas Medical Center where the IRMS is mainly located(IRMS is not part of Barnabas Health System and is privately held), told Patch: “This matter involves a private group in litigation. RWJBH does not comment on matters in litigation.”
IRMS spokesperson Ron Torossian told MEAWW: “We are an organization comprised of passionate, dedicated medical professionals whose singular mission is to help our patients build their families. The integrity of our treatment processes are paramount and we are taking this matter very seriously. As such, we are thoroughly examining the alleged incident, which is said to have occurred in 2012. As patient privacy is core to what we do, we do not comment specifically on individual patient matters.”
The IMRS also said that the amount the couple spent in having the baby is probably closer to 10 percent of the amount of $500,000 that is being claimed.