Kretchmar v. New England Cryogenic Center

Protecting People Who Want to Have a Family

When the couple found they couldn’t conceive a second child, their doctors recommended that they locate a sperm donor, which they did, through the New England Cryogenic Center near Boston. And not long after, the couple’s child, a son named Jaxson, was born.

But the joy of new life was cut short almost immediately. Doctors told the Kretchmars their son had cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that can affect the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Often the only treatment is a lung transplant.

That led to a question: How did Jaxson get such a disorder? After all, New England Cryogenic’s website said the company checked all samples for various genetic diseases.

To find the answer, Aldous \ Walker teamed up with Attorney Dean Gresham, who filed suit against New England Cryogenic, claiming the company had failed to properly test the sperm sample it sold to the Kretchmars.

The case ended with a confidential settlement.