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Letter sent to UH patients about fertility mishap fails to explain why it happened

Posted: 10:35 AM, Mar 23, 2018

Updated: 2019-03-28 16:00:48-04

By: Amanda VanAllen

Few answers in UH letter about fertility mishap

University Hospitals has sent a letter to fertility center patients affected by a catastrophic refrigerator malfunction offering free in vitro fertilization packages and storage for their eggs and embryos.

The letter fails to explain why a temperature fluctuation in a storage tank happened on the first weekend in March.

In a previous letter, hospital staff said approximately 2,000 eggs and embryos were either damaged or destroyed because of a refrigerator malfunction at the UH Fertility Center Beachwood, Ohio.

The letter also vaguely walks patients through some of the things they are looking into as a potential cause for the malfunction, including security and alarm systems.

The letter also reveals the hospital purchased new storage tanks and tank alarms from a different vendor.

"University Hospital is behaving like an airline that just had a plane crash," said attorney Tom Merriman, who is representing several UH patients. "The thing that strikes me about this letter is that its phony transparency, its cast in terms of as though they're trying to be transparent with patients who lost their embryos and eggs but, in reality, it doesn't tell you anything. I can’t believe that after a week and a half they have no idea how 2,000 eggs and embryos were destroyed in a liquid nitrogen holding tank."

UH declined to comment until all of their patients receive the letter.

Devastated families and dreams of having children shattered.

This after 2 thousand eggs and embryos were potentially destroyed because of a refrigerator malfunction at University Hospital.

The latest update to the controversy is this letter the hospital sent to patients. It *again* offers them free in vitro and storage for their eggs if they want to or even have the ability to go through the process again.

The letter also *very vaguely* walks patients through some of the things they are looking into as a potential cause like: security and alarm systems.

They also reveal purchasing new storage tanks and tank alarms from a different vendor.

An attorney who is representing several clients affected by the mishap is very critical of the letter.

>>TOM MERRIMAN, ATTORNEY

(33:27)

University Hospital is behaving like an airline that just had a plane crash. The thing that strikes me about this letter is that it’s phony transparency, its cast in terms of as though their trying to be transparent with patients who lost their embryos and eggs but in reality it doesn’t tell you anything. I can’t believe that after a week and a half they have no idea how 2 thousand eggs and embryos were destroyed in a liquid nitrogen holding tank.

LIVE OUT:

We did give U-H the opportunity to talk about the new developments, but they say they would prefer all of their patients receive the letter before they comment further.

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