Woman Gives Birth to Black and White Babies – Gives up One of Them 3 Months Later

When a couple struggled to conceive, they decided to get assistance from a fertility clinic. However, their journey to becoming parents didn't unfold as expected, and they had to make a difficult decision.

Fertility clinics and various new procedures and technology have helped many people realize their dreams of having a baby. However, things don't always go according to plan.

A husband and wife from New York were excited when their in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment was successful, and they were expecting twins. Sadly, the feelings of joy turned to shock when new information came to light.

The twins inside the woman's womb were not genetically related. Please read their unbelievable story to discover how this happened.

ONLY ONE WOMAN BECAME PREGNANT

Donna Fasano and her husband, Richard, were eager to start a family, and they decided to pursue other options when they struggled to conceive. They visited Dr. Lillian Nash's offices in Manhattan, and Fasano underwent embryo implantations.

Another couple, Deborah Perry-Rogers and Robert Rogers, walked a similar journey as the Fasanos, and they also underwent the same procedures. However, only Fasano became pregnant.

THEY HAD TO MAKE A TOUGH DECISION

Fasano gave birth to healthy twin boys and adored them. They were like brothers and spent every moment together. But there was something different about them—the boys didn't share the same genes.

While both developed in Fasano's womb, the boys were not related. One child was white, and the other was black, and the couple treated the boys like brothers despite their differences. The twins bathed, played, and did everything together.

The tests confirmed that one of the babies in Fasano's womb was not hers. She was shocked and unsure about the road ahead—the mother didn't even know whose baby she was carrying.

However, in 1999, Fasano and her husband made a heartbreaking decision. They would return the baby who did not share their DNA.

GIVING HIM UP OUT OF LOVE

Fasano made the difficult choice because she believed it was the right thing to do. She expressed: "We're giving him up because we love him."

Ivan Tantleff, the lawyer handling Fasano's case, explained how much the decision pained his clients. Both boys were her sons, regardless of genetics.

He said: "Both of these boys are beautiful--two precious, normal little boys. They sit in the swing together. They sit in the tub together." However, the black boy was related to the Rogers couple, and they longed for their son.

THEY WERE HAPPY WITH HER DECISION

The Rogerses wished they would have had their son under different circumstances, but they were happy to be reunited with him, even if he was already three months old.

They sought custody of the baby boy and were glad that there was no pushback from Fasano. Their lawyer, Rudolph Silas, stated:

"My clients are both ecstatic. Of course there's some mixed emotions in the manner in which it has been brought to this point. But they're happy she made the decision she has made."

The Rogerses wanted to get involved with their baby sooner but understood that Fasano was under immense stress, so they gave her the space she needed.

"IT WASN'T MY DOING"

Fasano was devastated by how things transpired and expressed that the ordeal wasn't her fault. She said: "This wasn't my doing," and hoped the boys would grow up knowing they were brothers.

Her lawyer revealed the family would attempt to arrange visitation rights in the future. The Rogerses were open to this idea, and their legal representative noted: "It's in the children's best interest."

WHAT WENT WRONG?

When the Fasanos and the Rogerses visited Dr. Lillian Nash, they believed they were in good hands. Sadly, this wasn't the case, and it was the start of a nightmare experience for both couples.

Nash implanted four of Fasano's eggs fertilized by her husband, but she also added several other fertilized eggs. She informed the mother about this mistake, and Fasano instantly asked a different doctor to conduct DNA tests.

The tests confirmed that one of the babies in Fasano's womb was not hers. She was shocked and unsure about the road ahead—the mother didn't even know whose baby she was carrying until the Rogerses sued them and sought custody.

IT DESTROYED THEIR LIVES

Both the Fasanos and the Rogerses sued the doctor responsible for their IVF treatment and hoped no parent would face the same fate as them. Part of the Rogerses' lawsuit sought justice for the malpractice and negligence of Nash.

Both couples were appalled by the doctor's mistake, and Fasano aptly shared:

"People with infertility problems should be able to go to their doctors and trust them to do the right thing."

She added that it might only have been a job to Nash, but the mistake affected her entire life. While she was grateful to have received two beautiful children, she believes the doctor's actions "destroyed their lives."

A REASONABLE BUT HEART-WRENCHING SOLUTION

George Annas, a professor of health law for the Boston University School of Public Health, shared his views about Fasano's decision to return the baby to his natural parents.

He noted that it seemed like the most reasonable solution. However, it was not lost on him how heart-wrenching it would be for the Fasano family.

He said:

"This is her son's brother. It is her child. They are twins, raised in the same uterus. They've been together for 14 months. They're twins in every sense--except genetic."

IT WAS A TRAGEDY

Annas added that the real tragedy was that although Perry-Rogers provided the genes for one of the twins, she had no relationship with him. The Fasanos were the only family he knew, and that would be ripped away from him.

However, twin expert David Lykken, and professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota, stated that because the boys were still young, the separation would fortunately not affect their development in the long term.

ANOTHER EMBRYO MIX-UP

Shockingly, embryo mix-ups are not as rare as people may think. A Massachusetts woman was impregnated with the wrong embryo after spending more than $12,000 on the treatment.

In 2022, the unnamed couple was in the process of suing the clinic for their malpractice and negligence. They painfully chose to terminate the pregnancy for fears that the child's natural parents might involve them in a lengthy court battle after birth.

They faced immense pain and heartbreak, similar to the Fasanos and the Rogerses. Hopefully, their stories will encourage parents to do extensive research before choosing a fertility clinic and show doctors that there are severe repercussions when mixing up something so significant.