NEW HAVEN, Conn (AP) - Laura Howard says she was hoping her trip to a fertility specialist would make her dream of a second child come true. But as she was leaving the office, the doctor suddenly ran out to the lobby and called her back.
He told her of a grave mistake. Instead of being inseminated with the sperm of her fiance, she received a vial of semen from another man.
Howard learned she was pregnant on June 1, about two weeks after her visit to the clinic. She is now haunted by questions: Who is the father? Does he have any deadly diseases? Will her fiance stand by her, knowing the baby likely is not his?
``I don't sleep. I am always stressed,'' Howard said. ``My fiance is very distraught. He had no intentions of raising someone else's child.''
On Tuesday, Howard, a 40-year-old Trumbull nurse, sued her fertility specialist, Dr. Anthony Santomauro.
Medical malpractice attorney Madonna Sacco, who represents Santomauro, issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging an error was made and said the parties were trying to resolve the issues.
``Ms. Howard asked for and was given prescriptions to interrupt the insemination process,'' Sacco said. ``My client is terribly sorry that human error occurred and saddened that Ms. Howard decided not to take the medication she requested and was prescribed.''
Fertility experts were surprised and troubled by the case.
``That's extremely unusual,'' said Dr. Joe Massey, a fertility specialist at Reproductive Biology Associates in Atlanta. ``Clinics typically have a vigorous labeling system to prevent this.''
He told her of a grave mistake. Instead of being inseminated with the sperm of her fiance, she received a vial of semen from another man.
Howard learned she was pregnant on June 1, about two weeks after her visit to the clinic. She is now haunted by questions: Who is the father? Does he have any deadly diseases? Will her fiance stand by her, knowing the baby likely is not his?
``I don't sleep. I am always stressed,'' Howard said. ``My fiance is very distraught. He had no intentions of raising someone else's child.''
On Tuesday, Howard, a 40-year-old Trumbull nurse, sued her fertility specialist, Dr. Anthony Santomauro.
Medical malpractice attorney Madonna Sacco, who represents Santomauro, issued a statement Wednesday acknowledging an error was made and said the parties were trying to resolve the issues.
``Ms. Howard asked for and was given prescriptions to interrupt the insemination process,'' Sacco said. ``My client is terribly sorry that human error occurred and saddened that Ms. Howard decided not to take the medication she requested and was prescribed.''
Fertility experts were surprised and troubled by the case.
``That's extremely unusual,'' said Dr. Joe Massey, a fertility specialist at Reproductive Biology Associates in Atlanta. ``Clinics typically have a vigorous labeling system to prevent this.''
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