To become the mother of yet another pair of twins, Marybeth used deception involving an IVF clinic, her husband, and even a judge. These actions could lead to a year in prison. Over the past two years, the woman has spent more than $500,000 on legal fees, fighting for her freedom and the right to custody of the twins, whom she considers her 14th and 15th children.
Marybeth, a mother of five daughters, met pilot Bob Lewis at a party in 1982 while working as a nurse in the Air Force. The couple dreamed of a large family, possibly even ten children. After the birth of their daughters, as the girls grew older, Marybeth felt the desire to become a mother again. Bob, who spent most of his time traveling, could not devote enough time to the family, and when Marybeth turned 40, she decided she wanted another child.
After long attempts to deal with infertility, the couple turned to in vitro fertilization and managed to create a batch of embryos. Although many clinics refuse women over 45, Marybeth and Bob found a facility that had no age restrictions. In 2007, just three weeks before her 50th birthday, she gave birth to twins. The delivery was a real ordeal: Marybeth developed a rare blood clotting disorder and required 21 units of blood transfusion. The doctors were amazed at her survival, but she was still happy that the babies were born.
After some time, Marybeth became pregnant again and in 2010 gave birth to her eighth daughter. But that same year she lost her mother, which, her family believes, caused her deep emotional trauma. In 2012, at the age of 55, she decided to become a mother again and gave birth to twin boys, who became her ninth and tenth children.
In 2016, without any embryos left, Marybeth decided to create a new batch using donor sperm and eggs. Although these children were not genetically related to her and Bob, she carried and raised them as her own. In December of that same year, at the age of 59, she gave birth to another pair of twins, who became the 11th and 12th children in her family.
Marybeth was an exception, as only 5% of American women have five or more children. According to 2023 data, only 1,200 women in the U.S. gave birth at the age of 50. In 2019, when she informed Bob about her new pregnancy, he was surprised: Marybeth had secretly implanted two more embryos and only revealed it at 12 weeks.
In 2020, when Bob retired, he dreamed of a quiet life, but instead found himself in the role of a teacher for his children. The Lewises continued to pay for the storage of embryos, and if the children were born, they would become full-blooded siblings to the three youngest.
Marybeth visited a doctor requesting a new implantation; however, after six cesarean sections, her uterus was in a dangerous condition. The doctor forbade her to have more children. Bob did not want the embryos to be transferred to another couple, and despite this, Marybeth signed a contract with a surrogate mother without obtaining his consent.
After the implantation, when Marybeth learned she was expecting twins, she had to sign additional documents and forge signatures. The couple needed a court ruling on paternity, but the court initially denied them. Soon Bob learned about the situation and informed their lawyer. The court overturned the paternity ruling, and the twins were declared to be in state custody.
The child services reported that the donors had waived their rights, and the surrogate mother did not wish to keep the children. Without a court ruling, Marybeth had no formal status as a mother. Bob expressed doubt about Marybeth's ability to care for the children, and their marriage, which was in crisis, seemed to be over. However, the couple soon reconciled and signed a new agreement with the surrogate mother.
The surrogate mother was due to give birth on November 26, but the doctors induced labor earlier. The court temporarily placed the children in foster care and prohibited Marybeth and Bob from contacting the twins. Marybeth faced 30 charges, including forgery, and her life at the university was at risk.
In mid-2024, she turned to lawyers who discovered violations in the legal processes. The foster parents, having hired a lawyer, filed for adoption. On October 20, the court officially recognized Marybeth and Bob as the legal parents, and the twins received new names. The court ordered the children to be placed in the custody of the Lewises, scheduling the next hearing for the end of November.
“I saved these embryos from destruction,” claims Marybeth. “I saved my children.”
