Book Review: Inconceivable

'Inconceivable' Tells Sean and Carolyn Savage's Side of IVF Embryo Implantation Mixup

When I began reading Inconceivable, I wasn't aware that the other couple involved in this bizarre incident of medical malpractice, Shannon and Paul Morrell, had written their own version of the 2009 implantation of the wrong embryo in Carolyn Savage. 

I'm hoping that Misconception is not as self-absorbed, obsessed, as Inconceivable . The idea of the Savages, with their three healthy children, undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) for a fourth child -- when Carolyn was nearing her 40th birthday -- struck me as selfish  in a world where adoption is an option for those who want large families. Call me judgmental... go ahead. Don't get me wrong I am in NO way against IVF, but I feel like when you are pushing 40 with 3 healthy children already you really shouldn't push your luck, but rather just count your blessings.

The Savages had two boys and an infant girl when they underwent an IVF transfer in February 2009, a procedure they knew would be their last chance to expand their family. If Carolyn became pregnant, they would celebrate the baby as an answer to their prayers. If not, they would stop and leave their fertility struggles behind forever.

In part because of  an error that mixed up the birth year of Carolyn, 1969, with that of Shannon Savage Morell, 1967, who used her maiden name Shannon Savage, the Morell embryo was transferred to Carolyn, who learned of the mixup a few weeks later. I was surprised that the people at the clinic responsible for the error would even do this; their honesty led to an undisclosed financial settlement that probably was gigantic.

One thing that comes through clearly in Sean and Carolyn's account is their love for the baby she was carrying, a boy she called "Little Man" (he was named Logan Savage Morell by Shannon and Paul Morell). The jacket photo shows Carolyn, the newborn boy and Sean, putting on  happy faces for the camera, knowing that soon  the infant would be out of their lives. This all sounds like a Lifetime Channel movie plot, but the subtext is that medical mistakes are more common than most people realize, with "Inconceivable" providing a look at  how modern medicine, which creates miracles daily, could allow such a tragic mistake, and the many legal ramifications resulting with both the genetic family and the clinic.

I said earlier I'm a little nervous to read Misconception by Paul and Shannon Morell. For my part, I wondered why adoption wasn't considered by the couples. Or if it was, why wasn't it discussed.

Inconceivable is worth reading if you want the story of an event that was covered very extensively by the news media when Carolyn Savage gave birth in September 2009 -- including People magazine and the Today show -- from the point of view of Sean and Carolyn Savage, who alternate in telling their story.