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(3/2011) Book Review: Inconceivable By Sean And Carolyn Savage
Thursday, March 3, 2011 0:00
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Reviewed by David M. Kinchen
‘Inconceivable’ Tells Sean and Carolyn Savage’s Side of IVF Embryo Implantation Mixup
When I finished “Inconceivable” (HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing, color photos, 304 pages, $26.99) by Sean and Carolyn Savage (written with “collaborating” writer Danielle Morton), I wasn’t aware that the other couple involved in this bizarre incident of medical malpractice, Shannon and Paul Morrell, had written their own version of the 2009 implantation of the wrong embryo in Carolyn Savage. That book, 
“Misconception,” was published on Feb. 1 by Howard Books.
If “Misconception” is as self-absorbed, obsessed even, as “Inconceivable” I don’t want to read it! The idea of the Savages, with their three healthy children, undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) for a fourth child — when Carolyn was nearing her 40th birthday — struck me as selfish in a world where adoption is an option for those who want large families. Call me judgmental, but for once — possibly the only time in my life — I agree with the Roman Catholic Church in opposing IVF. Why a devout Catholic couple like Sean and Carolyn Savage would go against the principles of their church and undergo the painful and expensive procedure was puzzling to me.
I had just finished reading “Seldom Disappointed,” the 2001 memoir of the late, great author Tony Hillerman (1925-2008), also a Roman Catholic, and I marveled at the difference between Hillerman and his wife, who adopted children, one with special needs, and the Savages and Morells.
The Savages had two boys and an infant girl when they underwent an IVF transfer in February 2009, a procedure they knew would be their last chance to expand their family. If Carolyn became pregnant, they would celebrate the baby as an answer to their prayers. If not, they would stop and leave their fertility struggles behind forever.
In part because of an error that mixed up the birth year of Carolyn, 1969, with that of Shannon Savage Morell, 1967, who used her maiden name Shannon Savage, the Morell embryo was transferred to Carolyn, who learned of the mixup a few weeks later. I was surprised that the people at the clinic responsible for the error would even do this; their honesty led to an undisclosed financial settlement that probably was gigantic.
One thing that comes through clearly in Sean and Carolyn’s account is their love for the baby she was carrying, a boy she called “Little Man” (he was named Logan Morell by Shannon and Paul Morell). The jacket photo shows Carolyn, the newborn boy and Sean, putting on happy faces for the camera, knowing that soon the infant would be out of their lives. This all sounds like a Lifetime Channel movie plot, but the subtext is that medical mistakes are more common than most people realize, with “Inconceivable” providing a look at how modern medicine, which creates miracles daily, could allow such a tragic mistake, and the many legal ramifications resulting with both the genetic family and the clinic.
I said earlier that I didn’t want to read “Misconception” by Paul and Shannon Morell. Let me amend that statement: it might be a good idea to do so, if you’re interested in exploring the curious case of the Savages and the Morells. For my part, I wondered why adoption wasn’t considered by the couples. Or if it was, why wasn’t it discussed.
“Inconceivable” is worth reading if you want the story of an event that was covered very extensively by the news media when Carolyn Savage gave birth in September 2009 — including People magazine and the Today show — from the point of view of Sean and Carolyn Savage, who alternate in telling their story.
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