Woman sues fertility clinic, says lawsuit highlights need for better regulation
TORONTO — A lawsuit filed by a Toronto woman against a fertility clinic that she claims was responsible for the loss of dozens of her eggs has drawn attention to a reproductive industry that doctors and medical regulators say is lacking in accountability and oversight.
Ella Zhang spent approximately $10,000 to have 65 eggs removed and stored at ReproMed clinic in west Toronto early this year, her statement of claim said. But the malfunction of a cryogenic storage tank destroyed the eggs in May, the suit said, leading to what Zhang described in an interview as the “end of a dream.”
“I was so sad, it was so painful,” Zhang said in an interview, through a Mandarin interpreter. “I thought everything would be secure, and I wouldn’t have to worry about anything.”
Zhang, a 39-year-old single mother with a seven-year-old daughter, is seeking $27.5 million in damages for alleged negligence, breach of contract, and breach of statutory duties, according to the suit.