26-Year-Old Woman Gives Birth to Baby From Embryo Frozen 24 Years Ago

For those looking to share the joy of creating a family but can not, embryo adoption is a viable and increasingly common option. In simple terms, it is just what is described, you are adopting a child when you pick an embryo. There are 600,000+ frozen embryos looking for a "loving home". For the mothers and fathers unsuccessful with creating a child, find the In Vitro Fertilization way too expensive or have struggled with IVF treatments, the future looks bright with embryo adoption. With a high success rate and a growing number of new worth stories, embryo adoption is moving into the forefront.

Just last month, Tina Gibson gave birth to a baby that was originally the result of an embryo frozen all the back on October 14, 1992. 

The 24 Year Old Embryo

Tin Gibson and her husband, Benjamin Gibson were struggling to have a baby, due to Benjamin's past health problems. Like many families in their situation, they decided to pursue the process of adopting a child.

[see-also]

In an interview with CNN, Tina stated, "My husband has cystic fibrosis, so infertility is common. We had decided that we were more than likely going to adopt, and we were fine with that." Yet that changed after a chance encounter with her father. Long story short, her father informed her of another option to the standard adoption and planted the idea of embryo adoption in her head. Tina was, of course, excited about the opportunity to not only have a child but carry a child. After going through the application process, hosting the baby, and completing a health check on November 25 of this year that embryo grew to the adorable newborn life of Emma Wren Gibson, weighing in at 6 pounds 8 ounces. "We're just so thankful and blessed. She's a precious Christmas gift from the Lord," says Tina. "We're just so grateful."

A Christmas Miracle

The advancement in embryo technology has allowed families to share enjoying the miracle of life. What makes this birth even more impressive is the fact that the embryo was frozen for 24 years. Previous to Tina, a woman had given birth to an embryo that was frozen for 20 years. Freezing embryos is something new and was to help buy families time who were tinkering on the edge of whether or not they wanted to donate their embryos. Around the early 1970's originally IVF created embryos were implanted right away into the womb. It was not until 1984, where the idea of freezing an embryo to have a child was introduced. Normally, there is about a 75% chance of the embryo surviving after being thawed out. 

Tina, and her husband love little Emma like their own and encourage others to pursue embryo adoption as a potential solution to their childbearing problems.