There’s more fallout from the IVF ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court. Two major IVF providers in the state of Alabama have suspended services following the ruling that IVF embryos are considered children.
Doctors in Texas are watching closely as providers in Alabama work to determine the legal consequences of the court’s decision.
Angela Granger is a single mother who turned to IVF after several miscarriages and other failed attempts to become pregnant. She said she found a doctor she trusted and decided to move forward with the process.
“She was in Birmingham, Alabama. So, I made the drive over there, and I went through all of the process. It was crazy. Lots of shots, lots of trauma, lots of worrying,” said Granger.
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Granger spoke to NBC 5 from Georgia, where she currently lives. She said the doctor in Alabama was the perfect fit and worth the money and the drive. They retrieved nine eggs, and one was successful.
“One definitely, that's my son. And the other one was kind of a hit-or-miss, and we missed, unfortunately. So, yeah, of nine eggs, I was lucky just to even get one embryo out of that,” Granger said.
Granger, a single mom by choice, said she thought about having another child and would want to use the same provider.
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“She helped me get Kai here,” she said. “And if I were to extend my family, I would want to do it with her. And just right now, it's not a possibility.”
She’s had doubts since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through in vetro fertilization are considered children. Often during the IVF process, extra embryos are frozen then discarded once patients decide they no longer need them, or for genetic abnormalities.
With this ruling, two major IVF providers in Alabama have suspended services out of concern for legal repercussions.
Here in North Texas, endocrinologists and fertility clinics are watching closely.
Dr. Julian Escobar is an endocrinologist for the Conceive Fertility Center in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He said the news has some patients concerned about making rushed decisions.
“I have patients reach out asking ‘Can I transfer my embryos to another state?’ and people trying to make decision on the disposition of their embryos when they normally would’ve waited for a little bit. But now they’re freaking out,” he said.
Dr. Escobar said the decision out of Alabama could have far-reaching implications and leaves many questions unanswered.
“Is the government going to force patients to transfer abnormal embryos? Or are we going to have to keep these embryos forever? If you get divorced, can you claim child support for embryos that are frozen?” he asked.
The Medical Association of Alabama on Wednesday called on the Alabama Supreme Court to reconsider or suspend its ruling.
