Two Los Angeles couples have forged an unprecedented solution to an IVF embryo mix-up that switched their babies at conception.
Daphna and Alexander Cardinale’s joy at welcoming their newborn daughter in September 2019 gradually gave way to confusion and concern as they noticed the baby, named May, bore no resemblance to either parent.
After months of uncertainty, an at-home DNA test revealed a devastating truth: there was a 99.9 percent probability that neither of them was the child’s biological parent.
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“It was one of the happiest moments of our lives,” Alexander Cardinale recalled of the birth, speaking to People Magazine. “And that’s when our world started falling apart.”
The shocking discovery led to legal intervention, which uncovered that another couple, who have chosen to remain anonymous, had received the Cardinale’s embryo while the Cardinales had received theirs during the in vitro fertilization process.
The mix-up occurred at the California Center for Reproductive Health under the care of Dr. Eliran Mor, the New York Times reported.
Rather than proceeding with a traditional custody exchange, the couples devised an innovative solution.
“The moment my hands went under my daughter’s arms and we locked eyes, something powerful and unexpected washed over me. I knew this child,” Alexander said when talking to People.
“At the same time, Daphna and I were so devastated and sad … about losing our birth daughter.”
“What if we don’t ‘let go’? What if we just have 2 babies? We share them,” Daphna proposed to the other couple.
This unprecedented arrangement has flourished over the past five years, with both families maintaining close relationships and celebrating milestones together.
The children, May and Zoe, attended the same preschool and, despite now going to different kindergartens, maintain weekly contact.
The families have created a unique support system, sharing holidays, birthdays and regular gatherings.
“There’s no book for this,” Alexander explained to People.
“There’s no person to give you advice. So we ended up just sort of huddling together, the four of us, and it’s a blessing that we all are on the same page.”
“We’ve spent every holiday together since then. We’ve spent every birthday together since then — and we’ve just kind of blended the families.”
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The Times reported that the Cardinales have filed a lawsuit against Dr. Mor, his laboratory and the fertility clinic responsible for the embryo transfer.
Despite the emotional turmoil, the families have transformed a potential tragedy into a unique blend of modern parenthood, demonstrating remarkable resilience and adaptability in the face of an unprecedented situation.
