SYLVANIA, OH – An Ohio woman was accidentally implanted with another couple’s embryo, and will have to give up the baby.
Sean and Carolyn Savage had three children, but wanted to try for one more. Due to a medical condition, they decided to use IVF, or in-vitro fertilization, to have their fourth child.
However, twelve weeks into the pregnancy, the couple were informed that Carolyn had been mistakenly implanted with another couple’s embryo!
Carolyn remembers the moment she found out: “I was upstairs in the bedroom and he came through the door and said ‘I have really bad news’ and I kind of sat up and he said, ‘You are pregnant but they transferred the wrong embryos.’
“I was actually yelling at him, ‘You are joking, you are joking’ and he kept shaking his head. He was white as a sheet.”
Because of their religion, Sean and Carolyn decided to not terminate the pregnancy, and instead carry on and hand over the baby once it was born.
They met the genetic parents a few weeks later, and Carolyn asked only that she has a few moments after the birth to say goodbye to the child she had carried for nine months.
When asked how they had gotten through the pregnancy, Carolyn said, “We are trying to mentally frame it in a positive way and look at is as a gift for this family that 8-months ago we did not know.”
“I think that is the only way we will get through it.”
Because of a medical condition, this is the last baby Carolyn will be able to carry. The couple is now looking into “carriers” that would be implanted with their embryos.
The Savages’ attorneys are making sure that the fertility clinic “will accept full responsibility for the consequences of their misconduct.”
this woman is a saint….but she already had 3 kids and from the looks of their picture a little baby. she should have stopped at 3. Obama should limit everyone to 3 children from now on.
You can't limit the amount of children people have to 3. That's nuts. That would bring about a whole mess of protest and stupidity. Obama will not be banning child numbers anytime soon unless each family starts acting like the Duggar's and grows to 12+ kids.
"Obama should limit everyone to three children from now on" What kind of statement is this?! Since you obviously flunked all of your social studies classes: we live in a Democracy…we have no one leader who tells us what we can and can not do, especially with our bodies . If you feel limited to three children then limit yourself. This woman is making an incredible sacrifice that NO MAN would ever understand. Go back to your bbq.
Yep, they sure don't tell us what we can and can't do, especially with our bodies. Oh, except that I can't legally marry my girlfriend in most states.
Huh.
I do agree that limiting couples to three kids would be ridiculous. People should self-regulate based on income, ect. Of course, the ones who ought not to have 12 kids are the ones with… well, 12 kids.
I agree! Why can't we marry like everyone else?
Wow…why would you expect Obama to have the right to delve into the matters of children? This isn't China!
brilliant response…
you are crazy. where do you think we are? China?
You cannot be serious! Obama and the government should not be setting limits on how many children one responsible family should have. This is ludicrous! Obama supports pro-choice, isn't this a double standard bbqman? Give me a break!
I believe a single parent on welfare should be limited to 1.As long as a family could afford a lot of children without depending on food stamps and welfare and a TV show,go for it.
I don't think any parent who has ever had a child says they wished they would have stopped at the number before that. I have two kids and I would never say I should have stopped at one. I wish people would look at their experiences with children as a blessing instead of just an obligation. This woman got to bring a child into the world, even if it wasn't her own. I am so proud of her. We should always have the right to choose how big we make our family, and not wish for leaders to control that freedom.
I cant believe you would try to say OBAMA should limit everyone to 3. Some people should even have one but who are you or even him to tell the world what they can and cant do. Hopefully people have kids responsibly and dont over do it. But that is not your choice!
Are you kidding me? "Obama should limit everyone to 3 children from now on." What planet are you living on? We are not communists. This is not China, and just exactly how would Obama limit children. Maybe he should start with those on welfare. Just take their kids away?
Lord Have Mercy.. I think bbqman is a rib short of a bbq.
Actually.. this country is not a communist nation.. thanks for that useless comment though..
as long as a couple can afford it they should be allowed to have as many children as they want. The president should NOT be allowed to tell us how many children we can be allowed to have. what is wrong with you people!!!!
foodstamp and welfare people should have to be fixed after the third child. they'll never learn to keep their legs closed and swallow
Judgemental people that have been born with a silver spoon in there mouths should learn to keep there mouths shut and be greatful for what they have. Not everyone was born with the same oppertunitys as you have.
They should be fixed after the first child. Why should I have to pay for them to keep having kids they obviously cannot afford.
Back to this story…It's interesting that the clinic told her after she was 12 weeks pregnant. What? It took them 3 months to figure it out? That is clearly unethical and was a total manipulation.
If you want to live where the gov sets limits on how many kids you can have – move to China. We actually live in a republic.
I could be wrong, but I think bbqman was just kidding folks. I believe his point was that Obama has gotten himself involved in just about every other aspecct of our personal lives….. just in case you all weren't paying attention…
Check out the demographers statistics on population. Americans, Canadians and Europeans are producing just 1.6 children per couple. This rate of reproduction is below the required 2.11 to sustain a viable society. On another note, Muslim families are producing an average of 8 children per couple.
Where does that leave society in 25 years?
Fortunately, the President doesn't have that kind of power.
BBQ man, you are just another example of how Obama is turning this country into a bunch of socialists. The signs are coming, people just don't want to see it.
ACS…if you haven't noticed lately, WE DO have 1 leader who is trying to control EVERYTHING we do. He supports abortion so why doesn't HE just tell everyone to kill their babies. Better yet, why doesn't he just cut off their SSI after the 3rd child and maybe they'll stop having kids they can't support. At least the Duggars take care of their own instead of us taxpayers who support these baby-making, lazy deadbeats who just want the free handouts. Poor thing that happened to this couple. Sure looks like they had the means to take care of another one of God's children. What a brave thing to do without a second thought. It's shallow-minded people like you and NOBAMA who we have to watch out for. Cut off the free-loaders and castrate the baby making machines when they are found incapable of taking care of their own. Cut-off the free funding…stop enabling!!!!
Look FEDUP , you are sooooo clueless to reality. #1 Obama does not support ABORTION. He supports FREEDOM of choice. Think about that one. Next #2 , these "baby making , lazy deadbeats, are YOUR friends and neighbors now. Everyone from young to old white, black and others are suffering from unemployment and rising costs of living. Look around you moron!
Do some serious fact chasing. When you do, WELCOME to 2009. Not residing in 1970.
Let's all get back to the story here! I give this family all the credit in the world. Since this was the last child she was able to carry she has given more than anyone could. This family has given up alot and I am sure has gone through alot. It is their choice to bring a 4th child into this world. Let it go people.
Everyone wants to focus on the negitive comment lets all look at the positive. God had a plan in all of this, he is the only one who really knows the reason why this happened. God has a plan for this baby and these two families and God bless Carolyn and Sean you both are doing Gods work. My prayers are with the two families. This is one of our nations biggest problem we took God out and expect MAN to solve problems we all as a nation need to look at GOD, praise him and have faith, hope and believe our God will deliver. May God Bless everyone of us.
How in the hell did this become an Obama topic. You people are sooooooo predictable. Blame Obama for anything you can even if it has nothing to do with him at all. LMFAO!!! Let one of you get cancer and see just how happy you will be to be dropped by your medical coverage provider!
It is the right of every women and couple to decide how many children they have. Government intervention has no place is a Democracy.
The sad thing is so few women or couples take the time to obtain the best possible advice. I'm lucky and never had to resort to IVF though if I did want a 3rd child with the aid of IVF I would use the New England Fertility Institute in Stamford, CT. They have been used by a few friends who received the best medical attention and advice that was applicable to them.
Sure sacrifices have to be made to go through the treatment, but that is our right as US citizen's to make.
ONLY A IDIOT WOULD SUGGEST SOMETHING LIKE THAT NEXT TIME BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH THINK FIRST. HEY I GOT AN IDEA HOW ABOUT HAVING OBAMA CUT THE TONGUES OUT OF IDIOTS LIKE YOU!!!
I agree with limiting kids to 3 in a family. Dads and moms can loose jobs at any time, I work with disabled people and I assist them in calling food bank after food bank after they loose their jobs. Even worse they get on assistance and make even more children that people who DO work have to feed while their rent is paid…oh they also get free transportation. What is their disability you ask? they are deaf. They can still push a lawnmower, type, work for UPS…though their disabilities never get questioned. They get thousands of dollars of free health care simply for having babies. What confuses me is…if you are deaf, can hardly make it as it is, why on earth keep adding children into your life to stuff into section 8 apartments? I've been at my job almost 2 years, so please don't tell me I don't know "all" deaf people. I deal with hundreds a day. Some are wonderful, intelligent people who seek work and/or are employed. But 90 percent of the calls I make for them are for assistance, free food, free transportation, and great free medical care. Just because they can't hear. Don't get me wrong I love my job but I have seen people who can hardly walk get denied, war veterans included. They SERIOUSLY need to reform the health care system and TAKE CARE of those who WORK HARD before the ones who disable themselves by having child after child. A condom costs $2.00 but that 4th baby will cost us tax payers $20,000. Go ahead yell at me…all I am saying is, limit kids PER FAMILY unless THEY CAN PROVE they can afford them comfortably. Okay, let the arrows fly. All I know is welfare was originally set up on a temporary basis, look what it has turned into. Ladies, ( I am a woman) take care of yourselves first before limiting your life only to reproduction : )
As a mother I can only imagine how this mother of three (really 4) feels. To give up a baby that you have had inside you for 9 months and be told it isn't yours is just horrible. She and her family deserve all the credit. The other family is so fortunate that they are willing to make this an easy transition for them.
And Yes, I believe that Obama is ignoring what he wishes not to discuss, ACORN and so on, because he has no answers and has certainly taken on too many issues instead of fixing one problem at a time. I have lived all over the world and Socialistic Medicine is NOT a good thing. Think people and don't let him get 4 more years or we will not be FREE any longer!
I hope someone will have this couples baby for them. All life is a gift whether it be born rich or poor stupid people!!
The law hasn't caught up to assisted reproduction, and even Solomon would have a hard time with this one. I personally believe that a woman's right to choose how to use her own body supercedes any other consideration. It's a basic human right, it's why our creator gave us brains and free will to choose. I also believe that there isn't a law, and there shouldn't be a law that forces that mother to give up the baby she carried. That has to be a free will based choice. If you put your genetic material in someone else's hands, you take your chances. Most men understand this concept extremely well.
In the ideal world, every woman has knowledge and access to perfect birth control, and is free of intimidation, rape, molestation, and coercion in regards to sexual matters. Until that ideal world is a reality, then women will get abortions as they see fit and as they have done for tens of thousands of years. Native Americans preserved the safety of the group by foregoing childbirth during hard times using herbal methods. Have a nice cup of hot green pine needle tea–cheers!
People love to discuss how irrational it is to have a large family of four or more children. The reality is that there are more women who do not have ANY children than there are women that have 4 or more. That is why the numbers balance out to an average of two children per woman in the US.
I work at a small company and only 5 out of 20 female employees I work with have children. I have more children than any of them and I only have two! We are not in danger of losing any resources because some women choose to have a lot of children. In the end the numbers will naturally balance out.
Obama shouldn't even be President, let alone be telling us true Americans (w/birth certificates) how many chilren we should have. Then he will tell us if we are allowed to have health care for the Mother and child…WAKE UP AMERICA! He didn't say it but his action are moving in that direction! OPEN YOUR EYES! Its not china but were starting to act like them…Oh no not them, some of the more Socialist countries! Not the Free and the Proud We used to be! He's an Idiot! The Savages are the ones to suffer. If any of you have lost a Child then you might know just a little bit of what their feeling…If not How can you judge anything about thier live unless you walk in their shoes..Leave them alone..Its the other Family that should ask themselve why do they have to take???
"Obama shouldn't even be President" Says who? Under the democratic voting system of this great country he was voted into that office. Therefore he is President. The fact that you may not like that fact is, I'm sure, balanced by the large number of people who didn't like his predecessor. But they accepted that he was there because he had been voted to that office. Live with it! If the rest of the country agrees with you, he won't get a second term.
the mother should be barefooted all the time
that is so right
This is not about what Obama or the government is doing or should do or could do. It is about these people whoes lives will never be the same because of a terrible mistake. But I believe that everthing happens for a reason. Perhaps the embryo was implanted in the this women because had they been implanted into the genetic mother it might have not be succesful. I feel for both families, hopefully they will remain in contact for the health of the child and each other. Carrying ab child for 9 months is a wonderful experience and I could not imagine having to give that child away this is a wonderful women , and I hope she is blessed with as many children and her family are able to care for because she is obviously a loving caring person.
Why can't the other couple do the same for them? She could be implanted with their "bundle of joy" and all would be even-steven and no other parties would come into play. Sounds fair to me.
Mess w/mother nature and see what happens…How hypocritical to view each artificially created embryo as deserving of the right to life even tho the IVF process seems to guarantee collateral damage. If God wants you to have children, then you'd get pregnant the old fashioned way. and if you don't get pregnant, accept it and move on with your life. Did these people ever consider adoption?
Clearly you have no idea what a socialist platform is.
REALLY THE PRESIDENT SHOULD TELL PEOPLE HOW MANY KIDS TO HAVE. i KNOW YOU AR JOKING OR SUPID
Why bring Obama into this? Some ignorant person made the comment to limit the number of children. Also I did not vote for Obama, but it took 8+ years for the Bushes to F everything up, why not give Obama his 4 to try to fix the mess he didn't cause. We were already in financial trouble before he took office. He deserves his chance that he was voted into office for. He also deserve the FULL 4 years so quit demeaning him and judging him after only 9 months on the job.
Lynda, why shouldn't President Obama be allowed to be president? He was elcted legally! Not like the fiasco in Florida when the Bushes bought the election. The country wants someone to fix the mess that Bushes left us. Give him a break! Also I work full time for a living and still can't find affordable medical care. I am open to the new ideas, then maybe I can go to the doctor. Also if when I am terminal and the doctor wants to send me to someone to explain to me my choices in life, I will be willing to go. They are not telling me I can't live or that they won't provide care, only explaining my options. This is America! I DO have options!!
Your comment is nothing but a recap of the others before you who also were so off base as to what the subget was about to begin with. You say "WAKE UP AMERICA" like you are making some great point!
I agree with Cynde. Who the hell are you Linde? You need to get ready people are sick of the wealthy good ole boys like Bush and Cheney. You failed to comment on how many Americans (black, white and hispanic) have been killed over a fabricated story your president made up. And how much money did Cheney make from getting all the kickbacks from Haliburton? Remember those were our billions of dollars awarded to these companies for a war we never should have been in. One day people will learn that what you believe is your business but the truth is everybody's. So here is one truth, Obama is half African and half white, he is male, he is married to brillant African American woman and he graduated from YOUR top university law program at the top of his class. And guess what? Unlike Bush, his daddy didn't pay to get him in or get them to graduate him HE EARNED IT. So lets get back to what this entire blog was about, thanks to the couple for doing the right thing for this baby but a very difficult thing for their family.
How did what is going on with these two families become about our President? What she and her family are going thru is horrible. I'm a mother and I have to say she is making the choice that only a mother could make. It's rare that people are so selfless anymore. Now, my family doesn't practice a Christian religion, we are Wiccan, so I will not quote any verses from the Bible, but she is doing the right thing for the other couple. And it's obviously the right thing to do in regards to her beliefs as well.
You are ignorant! From now on you should just not comment since you obviously have nothing intelligent to say.
I can't imagine any saying that this couple should only have three children. Who are you to judge. This is a very CHRISTIAN family and what they are doing is a precious gift. I honestly belive that if they didnt have the finances to support four children that they probaly would consider that as an option. God Bless the Savage's for what they did. This hurt their whole family including those three other children. Mind your own business, get a heart but most importantly find Jesus Christ!! Obama has nothing to do with any of this. Keep him in the White House where he belongs he has enough on his plate dealing with stuff he doesn 't deal with God Bless the Savage Family I will be praying for ya'll with your surrogate mother..
I did it manually before.. thanks a lot.