Woman Sues University Of Miami, Charges Medical School Clinic Ruined Her Frozen Embryos

Jet, June 28, 1999

A woman who charges a medical school clinic ruined her 20 frozen embryos and her last chance at having a baby has sued the University of Miami for negligence.

"That was my future, you know, and they took that chance away from me," said the 35-year-old Wandy Scriven.

A diabetic since her teens, Scriven had a transplant after one of her kidneys failed. She said the medicine she takes to prevent her body from rejecting her kidney is considered dangerous to women trying to become pregnant, so she is unable to harvest more eggs for in vitro fertilization.

The suit, filed by Scriven and her husband, does not seek a specific award. But the couple's attorney said compensation for emotional distress should be in excess of $1 million.

The university admitted that the freezer that keeps the embryos preserved failed.

"This is devastating to us," spokesman Christopher Dudley said. "Our patients' welfare is our primary concern. We're just trying to figure out why it happened."