Fashionable Media Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to me, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by monetary compensation.
In some circles in vitro fertilization is morally controversial, yet many, many couples choose this option when faced with the devastating reality of infertility. I can personally empathize with the struggle of losing babies, which many in vitro patients face, but so far have not experienced devastating reality of being infertile.
I just finished reading Misconception by Paul and Shannon Morell. Wow, what a story, what a journey and what a mix-up! This book details their experience with loss, infertility and their choice to have a family by going through in vitro fertilization. After their twins were born, they decided to freeze six of their embryos at the in vitro fertilization clinic. The main thrust of Misconception is the fact that the in vitro fertilization clinic mistakenly thawed their six frozen embryos and inserted three “good” embryos inside another woman’s body! I just cannot imagine what an ordeal that was for them or the other family involved. Amazingly, I kept my tears in place, which hasn’t been so easy for me lately – hormones! I was just in awe of how things worked out and how the two families amiably worked things out.
The Morell’s had nothing but good things to say about the family who chose life for their unborn child. They understood that this mistake greatly affected both their families and were extremely grateful for the sacrifice the Carolyn and Sean Savage made on behalf of Logan, their son.
It would be nice to hear and read Carolyn and Sean’s side of the story, which I believe they intend to tell through their own book from what I have read online. I believe one source indicated that the Savages had found letting Logan go harder than they anticipated, which I can understand. Imagine carrying, nourishing a child, that you knew wasn’t yours, for nine months and then sacrificially giving that child up?
There are so many facets to the story that the Morell’s cover and share in Misconception that I can honestly say it was worth the time to read, even if you haven’t or won’t experience in vitro fertilization. Just knowing and understanding the process gives us more empathy for couples who are facing these decisions. For those who are or plan to go through in vitro fertilization, the book isn’t meant to scare you but to inform you so that you may have a better experience with more knowledge than the Morell’s did in their journey.
Misconception may be purchase through any major book retailer and was published through Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, Inc.
wow. surprised you liked this book. I thought it was awful. It told nothing about how the mistake was made nor did it identify the clinic. So many contradictions and no real substance at all.
I feel for the Savage family. I cannot imagine giving birth to my sweet daughter and handing her over. You carry a child and that is your child. I pray each night for that wonderful woman. What a beautiful thing she did.
Sorry you didn’t like it. Each of us gets what we want from what we read and we got something different I guess.
I’m not sure what contradictions you thought were in the book because I don’t remember any. It was the Morell’s personal story of their journey to claim their child as their own and to raise him.
As far as I understand it, neither of the families chose to identify the clinic or even sue them for the mistake made. That’s integrity. They realized there was a higher power involved over the human error made and chose to work things out amiably. It goes against the norm in the society we live in, where everyone is “sue happy”. To me that is incredible.
What difference does it make how exactly the mistake was made? It revealed that due to Shannon using her maiden name, Savage, and Carolyn and Sean’s name was Savage as how the Morell’s embryos were thawed for the Savages. To me that is how the mistake was made. Someone pulled the embryo container with the name Savage out of the freezer (the wrong one mind you) and thawed them for Carolyn Savage, not Shannon Savage. That is how the mistake was made. A human error. In vitro fertilization mistakes really don’t appear to occur very often, so this was a rare error on the part of the clinic. Also, this clinic really seemed to try to be upfront from the start with the families involved. They did not try to cover up their mistake either.
I feel for the Savages too, if you haven’t been reading on TFB long, you should know that I have seven biological children with another on the way so I can’t imagine giving up my child either. The Savages have yet to write their book though. This book was the Morell’s story and I could fully empathize with Shannon in her desire to have a family, in her losses and her anxiety over what the Savages would do from beginning to the end because they could have easily changed their minds and aborted or fought to keep Logan as their own, but they didn’t. That is sacrifice and an incredible miracle – one that Shannon fully acknowledges this in her book and gives Carolyn and Sean credit for and shows them gratitude throughout the book.
Wow, reading that gave me chills! Can’t imagine going through that and how amazingly strong of that woman to give up a child like that.