Couple Asks Clinic to Destroy Stored Embryos
A California couple stored nine embryos at a Michigan fertility clinic before asking that they be destroyed in summer 2022.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Divorce
In summer 2022, Allison Mertzman and her wife, Leanne, asked their fertility clinic to destroy the nine embryos they had stored there. The couple, living in California, had paid $3,000 per year for storage at a Michigan clinic.
Why it matters
The case highlights the long-term storage costs and unresolved decisions couples can face with frozen embryos after their family plans change. For Michigan residents, it reflects how fertility clinics in the state handle embryo storage and disposal requests from patients living elsewhere.
The couple paid $3,000 per year to store nine embryos at a Michigan clinic while living in California. The extraction does not confirm whether the clinic carried out the destruction request.
The players
Allison Mertzman
Allison Mertzman is one of the two women who asked a Michigan fertility clinic to destroy the couple's stored embryos.
Leanne Mertzman
Leanne Mertzman is the wife of Allison Mertzman and co-made the request to destroy the couple's stored embryos.
The details
Mertzman was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, and the couple had decided they wanted more children but were waiting for a better time for implantation. They had two daughters through in vitro fertilization before making the request to destroy the remaining embryos.
Timeline
2021: Allison Mertzman is diagnosed with breast cancer.
Summer 2022: The couple asks their fertility clinic to destroy their embryos.
Legal Context
Frozen embryo disposition has become a recurring question for IVF patients whose family plans change after storage begins. Cases like this one show how storage contracts and clinic policies shape what happens to embryos when couples stop pursuing pregnancy.
Couples storing embryos should review their clinic's storage contract, annual fees, and disposition policy before their circumstances change. Clarifying in advance who can request destruction and how that request is processed can prevent confusion later.
The takeaway
Couples who store embryos should set clear written agreements about storage duration, fees, and disposition before treatment begins. Revisiting those decisions as life circumstances change can help avoid difficult choices later.
Further reading
Explore more on Divorce for related coverage of how couples navigate major family decisions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Lodinews.
