Tennessee woman gives birth to baby girl who was frozen as an embryo for 24 years
A Tennessee woman gave birth last month to a baby girl who had spent more than 24 years as a frozen human embryo -- making the infant the longest-frozen embryo to successfully come to birth.
Tina Gibson, 26, gave birth to her daughter, Emma Wren, on Nov. 25, according to the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC). But unlike most newborns, Wren could be considered much older than she appears considering that she was originally frozen as an embryo in 1992 -- when her mother was just a year old.
The medical staff at the NEDC thawed the embryo earlier this year in March and transferred it into Gibson's uterus shortly after. Emma was born nine months later, weighing in at 6 lbs., 8 oz. and measuring 20 inches long.
"We're just so thankful and blessed. She's a precious Christmas gift from the Lord," Gibson told CNN. "We're just so grateful."
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“I just wanted a baby. I don’t care if it’s a world record or not,” Gibson continued after noting that, technically, “This embryo and I could have been best friends.”
“The NEDC has been privileged to work with the Gibsons to help them realize their dreams of becoming parents,” Dr. Jeffrey Keenan, NEDC's medical director, told the outlet.
Kennan said he hopes Emma’s story inspires other couples who have embryos in "long-term storage to consider this life-affirming option for their embryos.”
According to the NEDC, nearly 700 pregnancies have been made possible thanks to the center’s adoption program, which accepts donated embryos from all across the country.
