Quebec couple sues Ontario surrogacy agency after stillbirth, alleges improper expenses

A Montreal couple, Kristina Kasparian and Jeremy Cohen, are suing an Ontario surrogacy agency, Canadian Fertility Consulting (CFC), after a devastating stillbirth. The couple, who had endured 11 years of fertility struggles and multiple miscarriages, turned to surrogacy in 2023. They were matched with a surrogate who became pregnant with their embryo.

However, in December 2023, they learned the baby had died, with the child being delivered stillborn days later. The couple filed a lawsuit against CFC, demanding nearly $200,000, alleging the company breached its contract and improperly oversaw expense reimbursements submitted by the surrogate. CFC denies the breach and argues the lawsuit was filed outside the legal timeframe.

The dispute centers on expense claims that the couple says they reimbursed during the pregnancy. Kasparian and Cohen claim some receipts provided by CFC were duplicates, unrelated to the pregnancy, or dated months before the pregnancy began. The couple has attempted surrogacy again, but the pregnancy also ended in loss. They hope to make surrogacy safer, more ethical, and more transparent for others.