Couples make best of fertility clinic’s error

An Ohio woman who gave birth to a baby boy after a fertility clinic implanted her with the wrong embryo is a “guardian angel,” the boy’s biological parents said Saturday.

Paul and Shannon Morell of suburban Detroit said in a statement that they would be “eternally grateful” to Carolyn Savage, of Sylvania, Ohio, for her decision to give birth to their child despite the clinic’s mistake.

“We will be eternally grateful for his guardian angel, Carolyn Savage, and the support of the entire Savage family,” the Morells said. “We’re looking forward to spending the next few weeks getting to know our new baby.”

The boy was born Thursday at 5 pounds and 3 ounces at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo.

In a statement Friday, the Savages offered congratulations to the Morells.

The Savages say a fertility clinic outside Ohio transferred the wrong frozen embryo in February. Ten days later, they got a call from a doctor at the clinic saying Savage was pregnant with someone else’s child.

The Savages said in an interview with the Associated Press on Wednesday that they never considered terminating the pregnancy or trying to fight for custody.

The Morells, who live in Troy, Mich., found out about the fertility clinic mistake a day after the Savages.

The two couples knew nothing about each other. Shannon Morell feared that the pregnant woman would choose abortion, ending their chance to give their 2-year-old twin girls a sibling.

A few days passed before they learned that the Savages were not only willing to continue with the pregnancy but also to hand over the baby.