Tiny clothes are hanging in the closet. Stuffed animals are ready to be loved. Books in a basket are waiting to be read. A nursery complete, except for a child.
"Sometimes we keep the door closed because it is too painful to look in here and think is there ever going to be a baby in here," said Kate Plants.
In the fall of 2014, she married her husband Jeremy and they planned to start a family. "I've always wanted to be a mom and my husband always wanted to be a dad," said Plants.
But, just a year later, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She went through fertility treatments with hopes of having a biological child one day. "It was a miracle," she said. Five embryos were placed in storage.
RELATED: Here's everything we know about the University Hospitals fertility storage malfunction
RELATED: "It's beyond devastating." UH fertility patient reacts to clinic failure
RELATED: 2 families whose embryos are no longer viable file lawsuits against UH: 'It's a tremendous loss'
But, then last year she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. But, still, the couple was hopeful of having a biological child with the help of a surrogate. Then, last week, Plants discovered they were one of 700 couples affected by a malfunction in a storage tank at University's Hospital Fertility Clinic.
The couple will never be able to have biological children now. Attorney Tom Merriman is representing the couple as well as other patients who have been affected. "I have yet to talk to a woman who said their embryos were viable," said Merriman.
As for Kate and Jeremy Plant they are now looking at becoming foster parents or adopting.
