2010-05-15 CNN
Misconception. A stunning story especially for couples having trouble having kids. One Michigan couple learning that their frozen embryos were gone, implanted into another woman by mistake. They were understandably flooded by the news -- or floored by the news, rather. But there's a happy ending after a very rocky road. They do have a new son, and they've got a new book. "American Morning's" John Roberts joins me now for a little AM extra. And John, you actually had a chance to talk with the Morell's, the Michigan couple, right?
Yes. I sat down with them, Paul and Shanna Morell. Imagine if you will, Kyra, you've been seeing a doctor for IVF treatments. They have a couple of twin daughters because of IVF. And the doctor calls you and says, I want you to come in and see me. They go in to see the doctor. The doctors says, there's been a mistake, your embryos, the frozen embryos they had stored with us have been thawed. All right. So, they thought maybe there was a problem with the electricity. Everyone had lost their embryos. They were very sad about that. And then the doctor said, and by the way, your embryos were implanted in another woman. So, they went through weeks and weeks and weeks of wondering, what is this woman who's pregnant with her child going to do? Will she carry it to term and then demand that the child be hers?
It worked out well. They now have their own six, seven-month-old son, Logan. But you can imagine not only what they went through but what the woman went through who was carrying the baby. She thought that she was pregnant with her embryos and at the end had to give up the child. I talked to Shannon and Paul about that aspect. Here's what they say.
Did you ever have a pang of guilt where you ever thinking, oh, my goodness, maybe we should let her keep the baby?
I thought about it, and I felt guilty the whole time. But at the same time, that was my child.
What's your relationship right now with Sean and Carol Savage (ph)?
MORELL: They're friendly.
It's like they're extended family.
Have they seen Logan?
We saw them between Christmas and New Year's when he was three months. We're working on another time when they can see him.
PHILLIPS: Wow. It's interesting how she answered you, John, when you asked about having a relationship with them, that must be kind of a difficult situation to be in.
ROBERTS: I don't know exactly what the dynamic is, but I think she did seem a little defensive when I asked her that question. It may be because the Savages, Carolyn and Sean, the couple that carried the baby to term, recently said that the last seven months have been very, very difficult for them. They wanted to have a child. They haven't been able to have a child since. They don't know if they're ever going to able to have that child, but they had very, very strong religious conviction, Kyra, much the same way that the Morells did.
And that's why they decided that they were going to carry the baby to term, but no question. You got to feel for a woman who thinks, wow, this is my baby and then is told, no, there's been a tragic mistake. She had the good grace to give the child up because there are a lot of states across the country, Michigan, New York, where surrogate parents have preponderance of rights. They could have made a case to keep that child.
PHILLIPS: That's interesting, but also, a decision could have been made to abort that child.
ROBERTS: Sure, sure.
PHILLIPS: Hence, when you were stalking with the couple, they were praying that everybody was sort of on the same Christian values with regard to life.
ROBERTS: Yeah, both couples have very strong religious connections. And the one thing that Shannon Morell said was that she wished and she prayed that Carolina Savage was a woman of God and would not abort the baby realizing that this was their last best chance to have a baby.
PHILLIPS: John Roberts, appreciate it.