Posted on 12/19/2017 10:28:50 AM PST by billorites
An East Tennessee couple has welcomed a baby girl who grew from the longest-frozen embryo to ever result in a birth.
Benjamin and Tina Gibsons daughter, Emma Wren, weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces when she came into the world on November 25.
Prior to being transferred into Tinas uterus at the National Embryo Donation Center in Knoxville earlier this year, the embryo Emma grew from had been cryopreserved for more than 24 years, according to a news release.
And, according to research staff at the University of Tennessee Preston Medical Library, that makes her the all-time record holder for the longest-frozen embryo to result in birth.
Interestingly, Emmas embryo was frozen on Oct. 14, 1992, when Tina was just a year-and-a-half old.
It is deeply moving and highly rewarding to see that embryos frozen 24.5 years ago using the old, early cryopreservation techniques of slow freezing on day one of development at the pronuclear stage can result in 100 percent survival of the embryos with a 100 percent continued proper development to the day-3 embryo stage, said NEDC Lab Director Carol Sommerfelt.
Emma is such a sweet miracle, Benjamin said of his daughter. I think she looks pretty perfect to have been frozen all those years ago.
I hope I’m wrong, I hope I’m wrong, I hope I’m wrong... but this almost feels like the University did an experiment and found a willing couple. I also hope that they don’t use the birth of this little girl to pocket their bank accounts. You’ve seen it before where the pictures, birthday pictures, etc. are for sale to The Enquirer. There is just a lot of info missing from this story and it doesn’t feel right.
This is so wrong on so many levels.
I am glad she has been allowed to live --- just as much as if they found a person deep in an ice crevasse in a glacier, and managed to thaw him and save him. Saving lives is good.
But those responsible for this moral evil should consider what they've done. They should acknowledge the disturbing truth: they they're the ones that pushed this person into the crevasse. All the reproductive technologies that achieve fertilization outside the mother's body, are treating the youngest humans as unconsenting experimental subjects. And killing most of them.
I’ve not spent much time on this.
You’re probably right on target.
From the linked article: "The National Embryo Donation Center says it has helped produce more pregnancies through embryo adoption, nearly 700, than any other organization or clinic."
Evidently there is no genetic relationship between the present day parents and their "adopted" embryo. At least, none is stated or implied by the article.
I have heard of very small children having to undergo chemotherapy. I have also met a woman who was significantly injured by her earlier chemotherapy. Harvesting the eggs of a girl prior to a medical procedure which might make her sterile opens up possibilities for children to such a person that would have been unimaginable many years ago.
We are certainly living in a Brave, New World.
Congratulations, it’s a popsicle! Really, a feel good article.
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